章節 200: Chapter 359

[Support me here:- https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]

The bodies of the unknown demonic creatures were strewn about to the point where the ground wasn't visible. As the knights stepped, there was a squelching sound as they walked on the blood-soaked ground, and their clothes and armor were all stained a sickly dark hue.

However, there was just one person who remained unblemished amidst it all—Chiron Runcandel.

Even though he single-handedly killed more than 50% of the demonic creatures that had been turned into mashed meat, not a single drop of blood marred his pristine appearance. Despite the fact that the black blood had risen up to ankles, his steps were light, as if he were treading on fallen leaves, and his boots remained impeccably clean.

This was the depths (深部) of the Black Sea.

For decades, only Chiron and his knights had set foot in the depths of the Black Sea. Excluding them, no one in the world had ventured into this hellish region.

Apart from the map they are making as top secret, there was no official map of this place. No one knew what dangers lay ahead, and even killing dreadful demonic creatures yielded only a few useless bone fragments as rewards.

For the people of the world, there was no reason to venture into the depths of the Black Sea. There were reckless martial artists who embarked on journeys alone in order to achieve growth, and even the few good martial artists among them did not know what the depths of Black Sea looked like.

However, Chiron and his Runcandel explored the Black Sea because they thought that the fate of the clan was at stake.

"Luna."

"Yes, Father."

"We will soon reach the territory of the Five Kings of the Black Sea."

"...I have been thinking that it is time to meet one soon."

"Are you exhausted?"

Luna brushed aside her hair soaked in blood.

She remembered the demonic creatures they had fought against on their way here. The relentless tide of demonic creatures had kept them, Chiron, and all the knights from closing their eyes for even a moment during the past ten days.

"No, I find it rather dull. Even when fighting alongside you, Father, it felt as if I was just slashing through an endless sea of things comparable to dust."

For the first time, she realized that such a long battle could feel so secure.

Chiron turned his head.

"Have you learned nothing from these battles?"

Learning.

Only Chiron was capable of raising such a question to Luna, a knight who had already reached a transcendental level.

Luna glanced at Chiron for a moment, then surveyed her surroundings. She saw the Black Knights checking their equipment and sharing water.

"I've learned how to entrust my back to others."

Chiron nodded approvingly.

The eldest daughter, the first child of a human named Chiron Runcandel.

From the moment Luna was born, she had always impressed and raised expectations in Chiron. Until she chose to give up the patriarchy, Luna had never once disappointed Chiron.

Even when she withdrew from the patriarchy competition and declared her intention to become a sword that protects the clan, Chiron had not let go of the expectations he had for her, for quite a long time. With a human sentiment that is somewhat unfamiliar to him.

He also hoped that his eldest daughter would live a fulfilling life as a martial artist and as a human being, regardless of his position as the patriarch.

However, Luna, even after reaching a certain age, showed that she couldn't break down a few walls that confined her. To Chiron, that had always been a little disappointing.

Not knowing how to fight together.

That was the greatest flaw that Chiron had identified in Luna. She was born with an absolute talent and the destiny of solitude.

"Now you're realizing that. It's something essential when facing the kings of the Black Sea."

His tone wasn't lecturing. Rather, Chiron seemed content, wearing a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

It was a loaded statement, and Luna knew it. That was why she found it difficult to answer.

More distant than stars in the universe, or a sun that was impossible to approach—Luna felt that type of relationship between her and her father. Not just her, but all of his children had felt that way toward Chiron since they were very young.

'Compliment? No, it's not just that... I'm not sure what to say.'

She awkwardly scratched her head.

Of course, Chiron hadn't expected a specific response. It was just that not giving any response seemed impolite from Luna's standpoint, but responding was challenging when she could not think of anything.

Amidst her awkwardness, someone was seen joining the ranks behind her.

It was Tuben.

'Sir Tuben, did you find something unusual in the midsection of the Black Sea? Did he bring a human, no, is it a demonic creature?'

Tuben was making a map of the middle region of the Black Sea accompanied by Vanessa Olsen, standing far away from Chiron's ranks.

The attention of everyone shifted to Tuben and, beside him, Ozdock, who was politely bowing his head as he followed.

Ozdock, though still humanoid in form, was instantly recognizable to everyone.

"My lord. I've come to report on an unusual discovery in the midsection of the Black Sea."

"Tell me, Tuben."

"I confirmed that the 7th Flagbearer and 12th Flagbearer entered the vicinity of the Black Sea's entrance and found them engaged in a battle with this demonic creature."

At the mention of the 12th Flagbearer, Luna perked up her ears. Thanks to Tuben, not only did she smoothly overcome a difficult situation, but she also got to hear news about her youngest brother.

Ozdock looked at Chiron and the Black Knights once more, his shoulders involuntarily tense.

'Ah, I can't even tell how many demonic creatures had been killed... but they could all have become core demonic creatures given the time and opportunity. How many humans of Tuben's caliber are here? And on top of that, the lord of Tuben."

Ozdock remembered a name that everyone called the strongest a thousand years ago.

Temar Runcandel.

As Ozdock remembered his sword, he shivered as if a chill ran down his spine. Ozdock took the former Sarba Kingdom as a hostage to avoid Temar and Runcandel's attack.

[I am, I am Oz... Ozdock...! I am sorry, I didn't mean...!]

Unintentionally, Ozdock blurted out his name, even falling to his knees. He even prostrated himself, but Chiron didn't spare him a glance.

"How did it go?"

"The 12th and 7th Flagbearers worked together, but they struggled a bit. I intervened afterward and brought the situation to an end."

"Did you think they were going to lose?"

"Not really. I simply judged that if the flagbearers utilized their full strength, there was a chance that the battle could be observed from the outside."

"Excellent."

Tuben sensed that the compliment was directed not at him for resolving the situation, but at the flagbearers.

'This demonic creature Ozdock is quite powerful. Could the youngest handle him alone? I wonder how much stronger he has become over the past few months.'

No one paid attention to the fact that Ozdock was a "demonic creature using human language." They had seen such creatures occasionally in the depths of the Black Sea.

While Luna hesitated whether to ask that question, Tuben, who sensed her thoughts, spoke first.

"The 12th Flagbearer could have easily killed him on his own. However, he wouldn't have escaped severe injuries, and without allies like Murakan or the 7th Flagbearer, he might have died from his injuries before leaving the Black Sea."

Chiron also shared Luna's curiosity. Jin's growth was surpassing even his predictions.

"It's been a while since someone other than you reported about the youngest, Kahn."

Kahn closed the water bottle and bowed silently.

He too was making a map alongside the Black Knights. He played a dual role of informing external news while traversing between the depths of the Black Sea and the outer continents.

"It's been quite some time since I received a special letter from Tikan these days, so I was curious as well."

"It took quite a long time for that person named Kashmir to send a decent letter. Thinking back, it's rather amusing."

Amusing, Chiron said, and everyone was surprised by his comment.

Lately, they have been seeing such moments from his youth—when he used to joke around occasionally and talk about trivial, everyday desires—before becoming a Genesis Knight. The deeper they delved into the depths of the Black Sea, the more frequently he exhibited such behavior.

Hence, the knights hid their deep sadness within their hearts.

It was a sadness rooted in the fact that not too long ago, their lord was an ordinary human, and the time left for him as a human was truly limited.

"Ozdock, the demonic creature from legends."

For the first time, Chiron directed his gaze at Ozdock.

[Yes!]

"From becoming a demonic creature with core to now using human language, it must have taken an exceedingly long time."

[That's right!]

Tuben lightly pressed Ozdock's shoulder as a warning, and Ozdock couldn't dare to whimper.

"When the lord asks, provide a more detailed answer."

[In the Black Sea, I, I lived for around... a thousand years...!]

And Ozdock answered.

A thousand years in the Black Sea.

And another thousand years, traveling between the outside and the Black Sea. The total time it took for Ozdock to become a demonic creature with a core was two thousand years.

"In that case, you must also know about the geography of the Black Sea and its kings."

It might seem like an inconsequential statement at first glance.

Ozdock could instantly grasp that.

The moment he answered, "I don't know," his entire body would disintegrate, and he would pass away just like that.

'Oh, shoot! I don't remember much before having the core...!'

Still, he had to answer that he knew. Technically, it wasn't an outright lie.

[Th-that's right.]

"Guide us. Beyond the regions of the Black Sea's Five Kings."

[Understood! Leave it to me!]

Ozdock answered with a forced smile.

And inwardly, he could only think that he should have just kept on sleeping.

***

Baldie, no, the legendary blacksmith and now god, Picon Minche, had glowing eyes because of excitement as soon as he received the core.

[Oh...!]

His heart pounded with the realization that he could now complete his masterpiece.

Furthermore, the core brought by Jin was even more immense than he had anticipated, to the point that he felt he could enhance the sword and still have some left to use elsewhere.

The fact that the core was more massive than expected also meant that Ozdock was less weakened than Picon had thought.

"Hey, Minche. Do you like it? Do you? Huh? You're always so pleased when you pull off a scam, right?"

Therefore, it was entirely reasonable for Murakan to taunt Picon like this.

This time, Picon didn't protest Murakan's teasing with as much conscience.

It could be because he was too thrilled to think about retaliating, but also partly because it was Murakan.

[F-Finally, I can complete my masterpiece...! Jin! Now, there's just one more thing I need... Ugh!]

Murakan grabbed Picon's collar, making his eyes water.

"What? You need something else now? Seriously, do you want to die? Huh? Kid, don't stop me."

"Yep, I won't stop you. Just keep doing what you were doing."

[Hey, hey, wait a minute! L-Let go off my collar. Listen to what I have to say until the end!]

"I'll give you five seconds. Talk. If it's not convincing, I'll continue."

[The last thing I need is fire. It's not something you need to find separately. It's just a matter of Jin unleashing the power of the secret technique of his Magic Sword.]

評論 0條評論

投票

章節 201: Chapter 360

[Support me here:- https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]

"Then you should have said so from the beginning, it's unnecessarily startling."

Murakan let go of the grip on Picon's collar. Picon cleared his throat, looking embarrassed.

[Now that I no longer have the old forge, I can't create the flames necessary to forge Bradamante myself. So, I need the power of the Magic Sword Secret Technique.]

"Quit yapping and get it done quickly. Anyway, it's a lie as long as you just open your mouth. Do you know how strong Ozdock was?"

[I can roughly guess from the core, but...]

Picon looked at the core with greedy eyes.

While the glint in his eyes stemmed from the thought of completing Bradamante, an outsider might think Picon had some corrupt desire.

"Again, I didn't know what would have happened if I had trusted you and sent the kids alone. Ugh, thinking about it makes me annoyed all over again."

[Hahaha. Everyone, follow me. Let's finish the task right away!]

Picon sang a little tune as he descended in the basement.

Murakan watched his back and shook his head in exasperation, while Jin shrugged.

"In his human days, he lacked self-respect to the point that he'd just yap away if anyone visited. He's that type of guy. Frankly, I almost preferred that time; he's more peculiar as a god."

"Well, thanks to Mr. Picon, we started looking for Temar's tomb. He's mischievous, but ultimately a good person."

"Heh, it's not thanks to that baldie we started looking for that tomb. It's thanks to Solderet."

Both of them followed Picon to the basement. There was a secret forge that Jin had built in the basement, much larger in scale than the aboveground house.

Their gazes were drawn to the massive anvil in the center. Bradamante was emitting flashes of light on top of it.

After obtaining it during his cadet days, Bradamante had become nothing less than Jin's alter ego.

'I haven't been able to swing it for months. I'm looking forward to it…'

Picon placed the core on top of Bradamante.

Then, as he had mentioned earlier, as if indicating that he didn't need to use it all, he skillfully carved out about 30% of it with a scalpel. The relatively solid core was cut as smoothly as dough.

"Hey, hey, don't even think about keeping that piece."

[Do you think I'm a thief? I don't have that intention. Also, I still don't have the Dragon. Jin, where are you going to use the remaining piece? Are you planning to use it to restore his heart?]

A demonic creature's inner core acts as a potent elixir for dragons. Especially the inner core of demonic creatures like Ozdock, it wasn't entirely impossible to reverse the damage to a dragon's heart.

However, Murakan chuckled.

"You really don't know much to say something like that. Baldie, a mere inner core like that can't do anything for my heart. If it were that simple to fix a heart, I and the kid would have found demonic creatures with inner cores long ago."

[Then?]

"There's a dragon who needs this besides me. I'm going to feed it to him."

Thunder Dragon Caltor, the Dragon Guardian of Yulian.

Jin intended to use the remaining inner core for him.

Tsk.

Picon clicked his tongue as if disappointed. He had a slight hope that if Jin gave him the remaining core, he could create other weapons.

Of course, Picon's desire was limited to the act of "crafting" as a blacksmith, and he had little interest in personal gain from it.

"In the future, as news of demonic creatures with inner cores reaches me, I'll continue to procure inner cores. Whenever you need it urgently, I'll support you, so don't be too disappointed."

When Jin read his mind and spoke, Picon smiled broadly.

[Really?]

"Yes. Now that I know the inner core is used in the blacksmithing, there's a need to create weapons for my companions and my knights."

[Good, good. I guess becoming a god was a good choice. Well then, let's start working.]

Picon said, hiding behind Jin's back.

[Unleash the blue flames on Bradamante!]

"...Here?"

[What's the problem?]

"There won't be any basement left if I unleash my technique here."

[I'll help with that, so don't worry. Just unleash it as soon as possible. Try to converge it into the blade of Bradamante as much as possible. However, if you feel my power interfering, don't push it away.]

"Understood."

Whoosh-!

As he drew in his power, flames surged. Simultaneously, flames colored Jin's pupils and mana and aura flowed through the runic markings engraved on his body.

The energy of a colossal flame, to the point that even Murakan flinched, instantly filled the basement.

No matter how skilled Jin was, he couldn't entirely concentrate such an immense flame onto the small object that was Bradamante.

'With a slight misstep, not only this basement but the surrounding area could also catch fire.'

In a moment of unease, Jin thought so.

Phewww-!

Amidst the blue flames, Picon conjured another "fire."

In the blacksmithing, not only iron and steel were necessary components. Fire was also an essential element, inseparable from the blacksmithing. Thus, the God of Blacksmiths possessed the ability to manipulate flames.

Picon's fire blended into the blue flames, helping Jin guide the flames towards Bradamante more smoothly.

[Hmm, it's still not enough!]

As Picon spoke, a blue flame emerged among the red flames. As Tess materialized, adding her breath, Picon burst into satisfied laughter.

[Yeah, this is it!]

For a considerable time, Jin poured flames until both mana and aura were nearly exhausted.

Jin had already put down his sword and was catching his breath, but the spiraling flames were still directed towards Bradamante. Thanks to the molten inner core, Bradamante was glowing golden.

[Good work. Rest a little, and I'll finish it soon.]

Zing! Suddenly, a dimensional portal opened in front of Picon.

What emerged from it was a hammer much larger than the average weapon.

Picon lifted the massive hammer and began hammering it vigorously.

Clang, crash! The sound of the colossal hammer striking Bradamante resounded and echoed.

Suddenly, Jin felt his strength drain from his body, and fell asleep.

***

September 4th, 1799.

A whole day had passed since the forging began.

"Are you done? It took you the whole day. You said it would take a bit more, and it's another lie, but well... You've done a good job."

Murakan spoke in his usual gruff manner, yet he added the words "well done" almost too softly to hear. Picon's face, who had completed the work, twitched.

Given that he had swung the massive hammer tirelessly without a single moment's rest, it was only natural.

However, despite his worn appearance, Picon's eyes were glistening with a sense of accomplishment.

"Kid, seems like you're quite tired, huh? Falling asleep so suddenly. Was the fight with Ozdock tougher than I thought?"

Jin shook his head.

"I don't think that's it, not sure. Even when I unleashed the flames, I wasn't this tired."

"Maybe you should take some medicine."

Though Jin had suddenly fallen asleep, for now, he wanted to touch the completed Bradamante.

Picon's hand, which offered Bradamante to Jin, trembled noticeably.

[Hoho, it's the finest sword after Barisada....]

As Jin grasped the sword, he could still feel a residual warmth.

And even before he swung it, he could sense the difference. It had become something far beyond what he had used before.

[What do you think?]

"I don't know that swords can change like this."

[The activation phrase is "Open Armor." I've matched the activation phrase with the Multa Rune you possess.]

Open Armor.

Just like with the Multa Rune, as soon as he voiced the activation phrase inwardly, armor immediately formed. The shadow force emitted from Bradamante enveloped his entire body.

Hooong...!

In less than a second, armor formed over his body. It had a sleek design overall, but instead of shining like steel armor, it shimmered with the unique nature of shadow force.

In the armor Bradamante formed, there weren't any seams or gaps.

Despite this, there was no hindrance in moving joints.

Jin couldn't even feel its weight; the armor was a completely flawless, lustrous black. It exuded a presence that could undoubtedly be called the masterpiece made by God of Blacksmiths.

And the cape fluttering grandly was quite impressive.

[I added the cape in consideration of your dignity in the future. Of course, it's not without function... It specializes in repelling magic. Above all, the cape can be detached, making it very useful in situations where you need to protect others. Do you like it?]

"Yes, thank you for your hard work, Mr. Picon."

[Haha, seeing you make such an expression is quite rare. If you also check the offensive capabilities, your mouth might just tear apart.]

As he said, as soon as he infused it with shadow force, Jin raised the corners of his mouth.

'Different...!'

When he infused shadow force into Bradamante compared to before, Jin felt a vastly different sensation. Merely infusing shadow force, it felt like a surge of energy as intense as when he used a sword technique.

[Originally, I couldn't have made the offensive side any better, but your Phoenix. Thanks to Tess's flames, it unknowingly gained a new power. They call it 'Heavy Pressure,' probably, right?]

Amidst the darkened blade, a faint blue aura was circulating.

It was the aura of blue flames. This power contained the essence of the heavy pressure, a result of Tess infusing a portion of the power of Ruler of Flame World permanently into the sword while forging it.

'Ah, so that's why I fell asleep.'

Following the battle with Ozdock and unleashing the flames, it was somewhat strenuous for Jin, of course.

His sudden sleepiness was due to Tess using Jin's mana to interfere with this world to its limits.

It was for the purpose of infusing the Heavy pressure into the sword that his contractor would wield.

Tess hoped that Jin could use this ability, regardless of the situation. Even when his mana was depleted, or perhaps, he couldn't summon Tess for some reason, he still could use the Heavy pressure.

Even though Tess had tremendous authority as a ruler of Flame World. A common blacksmith couldn't do so when creating ordinary weapons.

It was only possible because a God of blacksmiths like Picon was forging the sword, Bradamante.

However, it wasn't without limitations.

'A dimensional portal leading to the Flame World won't open...?'

He had attempted to summon Tess to convey his gratitude, but even after completing the summoning spell, a dimensional portal wouldn't open. Only the blue flames, used to open dimensional portals in the air, flickered.

Instead, could it be due to the power of the blue flames imbued in the sword?

Through Bradamante, Jin could sense Tess's 'will.'

To manifest again in the human world, Tess needed time to recover.

評論 0條評論

投票