章節 119: CHAPTER 278

"Wow!" Fin startled. He looked around.

But no matter how hard he looked, the origin of the mysteriously booming voice had to be inside his head.

"What are you doing, Fin Blanche? Take it off immediately!"

The demanding voice came from the god of blacksmiths.

In Jin's previous life, Fin communicated with the god of blacksmiths for the first time after about five years. Jin's visit was changing the history around him.

Indeed, Fin Blanche was not the only one who could hear his voice.

"Grab the Bradamante? Wait a moment. Why am I also hearing the voice of the god of blacksmiths?"

In most cases, it was extremely rare to hear a god's voice unless one was their contractor. The exceptions involved prayers powerful enough to move the gods or the incarnation of a god through mediums.

Jin had already experienced a similar anomaly on the thirty-second island of Bluebird.

Perhaps it was because Bradamante was related to the god of blacksmiths, just as Sigmund was to Gramm.

Jin pondered. Meanwhile, Fin had no idea what was happening.

He looked around several times to check the origin of the voice. He concluded that it was just a hallucination and decided to ignore the voice and thank Jin.

"So... thank you! Sir, I have been saved thanks to you. It seems you came here only to save me. If you could tell me your name. What?"

Fin was about to bow his head when he suddenly made a strange sound and took a step back.

"W-What's happening?"

"Strike him down! Fin Blanche! Use this sword! The energy it emits is extremely unsettling."

Fin's shock was caused by a sword forming in his hand.

Black pieces of metal appeared out of nowhere and swirled around Fin. Jin's eyes also gleamed with intrigue.

Is the metal turning into a sword?

Jin had already experienced something similar with the leader of the Kinzelo.

He had also shown the ability to control metals to create a sword and a gate in the ancient Oterium, just like Fin was doing now.

"I will lend you my divine powers. Subdue that man and claim the Bradamante. Fin Blanche, I know you are surprised, but you are actually my contractor. You always have been, since your birth. I am the god of blacksmiths and your ancestor. If you listen to what I tell you now, I promise to train you from now on."

The god of blacksmiths was completely unaware that Jin could hear his voice.

Meanwhile, Fin was greatly concerned that Jin could also hear that voice, and it was driving him crazy. Jin didn't visibly react, so he couldn't tell what he understood, if anything.

"My Sir! Please allow me to explain before you misunderstand anything. I have no idea what this voice is, and I am only grateful that you saved me. But why is a sword suddenly forming in my hand, and...? Aargh!"

Shik!

Fin brandished the sword.

It wasn't just a threat. It carried the clear intention of cutting Jin's body in half, starting from the top of his head. In fact, the blade even had an aura around it.

Jin slightly moved aside to dodge the attack.

"Fin, what are you doing? I am giving you powers, and I even demonstrated it. Go and attack him. I will continue to assist you. Judging by his movements, he is probably quite a swordsman."

Obviously, the attack didn't stem from Fin's will. The god of blacksmiths was forcibly moving his body.

"My Sir! Do you also hear this voice? This is not my doing! Something is controlling my body against my will." Fin shouted, his face completely pale with fright.

"That man cannot hear my voice. Listen to me, will you? Fin, I must reclaim my masterpiece."

"Get out of my body, evil spirit!"

Jin felt as if he were watching a little absurd monologue. CH𝒆Ck for 𝒏ew st𝒐ries on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m

Ridiculousness aside, there were many intriguing details in what the god of blacksmiths had just said.

The god of blacksmiths said that Bradamante was his masterpiece and claimed to be Fin's ancestor, as if he were none other than Picon Minche.

Furthermore, he could also conjure metals like the leader of Kinzelo.

Jin felt the need to have a conversation with the actual god of blacksmiths.

"Fin Blanche."

"My Sir! I apologize, Sir. I don't know why a crazy spirit has entered me at this moment."

"I understand that you haven't attacked me of your own will. It must be the work of the evil spirit claiming to be the god of blacksmiths. It seems desperate to take hold of Bradamante."

Tears welled up in Fin's eyes as he eagerly nodded at Jin's words. "You're right, Sir!"

Meanwhile, the god of blacksmiths was taken aback. He spoke in response.

"What did you say, brat? Do you mean to say you can hear me?"

This god insulted people and even wielded swords against a stranger who had just saved his own contractor.

At this point, Jin didn't really feel the need to show him respect, whether he was a god or not.

"I can hear you loud and clear, evil spirit."

"Oh, how interesting. So, you can hear me. But despicable human, how dare you call me an evil spirit? I am the great god of blacksmiths, Picon Minche!"

But it was known that the god of blacksmiths was Growler, not Picon Minche.

"The god of blacksmiths is not Picon Minche. It is Growler."

"Ha! Growler, of course. There was a time when someone like that used to be the god of blacksmiths. But I, Picon Minche, was a superior blacksmith, not to mention that Growler is dead. Of course, mere wretches like you would be ignorant of the grand stories of the gods."

"What nonsense."

"Where did you get Bradamante from? First, give it to me. If you do, I will overlook your rudeness and kill you without suffering."

At this point, Fin's body was completely under Picon's control, and Fin's consciousness was pushed aside. There was a faint light emitting from the whites of his blank eyes, and there was a murderous intent in the hand wielding the sword.

But it wasn't a complete personification like the one Peitel used in Yulian's body on the Bluebird Islands.

Picon hadn't accumulated enough divine energy to fully reveal himself. All he could do for now was forcefully possess his contractor's body.

But neither Jin nor the rookie god Picon knew this fact.

"Hey, Picon Minche. You keep saying something about killing me and such. Are you sure you can live up to those words?"

"Hmph! Did you think I was complimenting you when I said you were quite the swordsman?"

Jin chuckled.

'And to think I've already gotten into two fights over Bradamante as soon as I returned to the clan.'

Instead of revealing the fact that he was a Runcandel, Jin let Bradamante fall to the ground.

"Take it. If you can."

"You insolent brat!"

Steel gathered around Picon, who immediately stood up in one leap.

First the sword, then armor, and even a shield. Steel instantly formed into battle gear, and Jin observed the skill with intense concentration.

He hadn't heard anything about the god of blacksmiths having such powers. This was too similar to the ability of the leader of Kinzelo.

But he realized that there was a clear distinction between the two.

The leader of Kinzelo was clearly more skilled. The weapons formed by Picon's steel were rather crude, but the sword and gate formed by the leader of Kinzelo had a mysterious perfection.

Did the leader of Kinzelo absorb the powers of Growler, who used to be the god of blacksmiths? Or perhaps he absorbed Growler himself, as the Demon God Stone could do.

By doing so, he left a vacancy for the god of blacksmiths, which was filled by Picon Minche, who became a god.

The idea suddenly occurred to him.

In any case, Picon Minche is definitely not a threat in combat.

Picon's battle skills were quite mediocre, and it was a mystery what made him so bold and courageous.

Bam!

Jin dodged the sword and struck Picon. Plak! The shield shattered with a single blow. Picon finally realized that he had made a terrible mistake.

It wasn't because Jin's light punch broke his shield. Nor was it because Jin's fist penetrated the armor and still seemed like it would go in again.

Was it the Shadow Energy?

It was the dark energy surrounding Jin's fist.

In Picon's mind, possessing Shadow Energy meant that whoever wielded it had the right to possess Bradamante.

"Wait! There has been a mistake! You are Solderet's contractor..."

Jin briefly paused upon hearing the name Solderet, but he decided to pretend he hadn't heard it for now. He knew he wouldn't be satisfied until he landed another punch.

Picon took a direct hit to the jaw and rolled four times on the ground.

"What did you say?" Picon immediately got up and yelled at Jin's question.

"Damn it! Why didn't you tell me from the beginning that you were Solderet's contractor?"

"Did you give me a chance to speak? And what does that even matter?"

"If I didn't give you a chance to speak, you should have declared it yourself!"

Despite how loudly Picon shouted, there was a tone of welcome in his voice.

Jin sensed that the tables had completely turned in his favor after his little show of strength in the shadow.

"Stop talking nonsense and apologize. If you do, I'll forget your rudeness."

Picon frowned. But he had nothing to say.

"I'm sorry. At first, I only sensed a strange energy in you, so it didn't cross my mind that you could be Solderet's contractor."

"What a surprise. I thought you'd foam at the mouth and curse me again. By the way, what kind of strange energy are you talking about?"

Picon pointed to Sigmund, hanging from Jin's waist.

It seems he was confused by that little toxic sword there. I don't know much about it, but it seems to have stabbed numerous gods and even sealed divine energy within it. Maybe that's why I felt extremely unsettled as soon as I saw it.

What Picon felt when he saw Jin were his instincts as a god.

Since Picon had become a god relatively few years ago, he was unaware of the Legends' Battle against the gods that took place five thousand years ago.

He was incredibly disturbed by the energy of Sigmund, which was both a god killer and the sealed strength of a god. And since Jin had Bradamante along with Sigmund, Picon desperately desired to reclaim the former, no matter what.

A brief silence followed.

"What's your name? I'm sure you must be a Runcandel and a descendant of Temar."

"I'm Jin Runcandel."

"Alright, Jin Runcandel. A thousand years ago, Solderet sealed me to become a god and told me..."

Whether the position of the god of blacksmiths was a vacant one as Jin assumed or not, and Picon Minche's skills as a blacksmith god aside...

It was impossible for a mere human like Picon to be granted god status. Therefore, Solderet used his power and position to make him a god.

"...that I must inform the Shadow Contractors to come to me with Bradamante or the Balisade from the place where Temar was buried. And he added that I must reinforce the blades of their swords."

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章節 120: CHAPTER 279

The tragic ancestor and first patriarch of the Runcandel clan, who was never buried in the crypts. One whose mere presence in the mirage could subdue the entire Great Desert of Mitra.

Where was Temar first buried?

There were at least two important details in this brief sentence. That Temar's tomb undoubtedly existed somewhere, and that his tomb had been relocated, at least once.

Jin had only acted on the information from his past to win over Fin Blanche before anyone else, but now he was about to hear an unexpected secret story.

After his return to life, there were only two people with whom Jin felt rivalry.

His father, Cyron Runcandel, and his ancestor, Temar Runcandel.

Jin told himself in the abstract that he would grow beyond the two at the Storm Castle, and with his growth, the idea was becoming a clear goal.

That's why he was always curious about stories from his youth.

Unlike him, those two transcendent figures achieved the pinnacle of mastery with just one opportunity in their lives.

"Did Solderet really order it?"

Jin calmed down and decided to listen to Picon.

"An order? Well, it was Solderet who sealed me as a god, but we were always friends and equals, even when I was human. In fact, I chose this tedious eternal life for Solderet's sake."

Friendship with mortals was part of Solderet's peculiar character. Most gods had extremely hierarchical relationships with mortals, except for gods of questionable class like Olmango, the clam god.

That's why Murakan often referred to Solderet as this guy or that guy, despite being his creation (Misha didn't need to be told to show respect). Likewise, Jin also conversed quite casually with him in his past life.

"It's true that I mistook you at first. Let me apologize for it once again. But I hope that, at the very least, you consider me a friend of your god."

He said it politely, but it seemed that Picon despised the way Jin spoke to him condescendingly.

"I understand. Likewise, I apologize for being violent towards you."

He was a legendary blacksmith who was now a god. Moreover, he was someone who would provide much-needed information. Given his position, it wasn't too difficult to appease Picon to get what he wanted.

"Hmph! Well, thank you for that. But how did you know I was here?"

"I didn't know you were here. I just wanted to see Fin Blanche, but I stumbled upon you by chance."

"Oh? By mere chance? How mysterious. Solderet, that guy. He must have seen things a thousand years before anyone else."

Jin didn't agree with Picon, but he nodded anyway.

If Solderet was so omniscient that he could see one's fate a thousand years ahead, there would have been no need for him to die so futilely, only to come back to life.

Of course, the fact that Jin didn't consider Solderet omniscient didn't mean he lacked respect for him.

Almost twenty years had passed since he last heard his god's voice as a contractor, but Jin still felt incredibly grateful to Solderet. "To be honest, it's hard for me to understand how you became the god of blacksmiths after Growler's death, Picon."

"I understand why you might feel that way."

"Indeed, Fin Blanche was kidnapped and in danger of death a moment ago. Seeing how you manifested in his body, I would say you could have easily subdued them yourself. But why did you let it happen?"

"There aren't many beings in the world who know that the god of blacksmiths died. I decided not to reveal my powers before meeting you because doing so could make me a target for Solderet's enemies."

"So, does that mean you intended to live in hiding until I appeared?"

"You're right. I had to hide by any means necessary because I know what those crazy Zipples did to Temar's tomb."

"And if the bandits harmed Fin Blanche?"

"I wouldn't have done anything, even if Fin died."

So, was he simply discovered by my enemies when Jin was twenty-four years old, as they already had the compass at that time? Or maybe Picon broke the promise with Solderet for some unknown reason.

Jin simply nodded.

"I didn't like seeing my descendants lead miserable lives, and since becoming a god, I only made contracts with my direct descendants. But I had no choice if I wanted to fulfill the promise I made to Solderet."

"Wait, does that mean your descendants never enjoyed the benefits as contractors all this time? All because of me?"

"You could say that."

It felt as if someone had struck Jin's heart with a rock.

Picon's direct descendants would have led prosperous lives thanks to the support of the Minche blacksmith guild, even if they themselves had no talent.

But Picon was the one who deliberately concealed his first direct descendants, his daughter and son, just before becoming a god.

Since then, his descendants had lived their lives deprived of the privileges they deserved for the sake of a boy named Jin, whom they had never known and would never know in their entire lives.

Some of them led fairly comfortable lives as leaders of militias protecting merchants, but most had to endure the miserable reality like Fin Blanche.

And not a single one of them realized their potential as blacksmiths. Picon had deliberately blocked their potential to prevent them from becoming targets. Thê sourc𝗲 of this content n/o/v/(𝒆l)bi((n))

Were they all being sacrificed, only for my sake? All because of a decision by Solderet and Picon?

Suddenly, he recalled his experience in Kollon.

"I have been waiting for the person who will take this. That very boy, the thousand-year contractor that Solderet mentioned." This was what Klam said through the manifestation in Raosa.

At that time, Jin thought he had put an end to the tragedy of the Kollonites.

But it wasn't true. Just like Picon Minche's descendants, they were being sacrificed for Jin's sake without their knowledge.

It was too extreme. Unfair and brutal.

Jin empathized too much with it because he had also struggled through a hopeless period without realizing he had been under a curse.

Picon read Jin's thoughts and continued.

"I know what you're thinking. But you must know it was the best we could do."

Why did you have to sacrifice your own descendants for me?, Jin thought. He had never asked for or wanted such things.

Jin knew very well that saying those things wouldn't change anything for Picon's descendants who had already died, nor for himself.

It would only be complaining. He couldn't do anything about what was already done. Jin was forced to take a position.

A position that made him bear the burden of responsibility for the countless people who were sacrificed for him, all unknowingly.

And above all, he had to deliver results.

Regardless of what Solderet had intended for him, Jin had to carry out what he believed was right. The destruction of the Zipple clan was obviously part of his beliefs, and now another goal had been added to the list.

From now on, he would never allow anyone else to make sacrifices for his sake.

Of course, it would be impossible for him alone to bear the burdens of the world, but he wanted to avoid imposing such unreasonable circumstances on others if he could help it.

There were countless elements involved, but the most necessary of all was overwhelming power. He needed a lot of strength, so that no one would dare to sacrifice themselves for him.

Secondly, he needed formidable strength to support him.

And both could be obtained if he reached the pinnacle of the Runcandel clan. The idea fueled his burning desire to seize the patriarchal throne even more.

"Please, do not hinder me from supporting Fin Blanche, and that applies to her descendants as well."

"I understand."

"One more thing. Thank you for your sacrifice."

Not only Picon's descendants suffered. The guilt of not being able to help his descendants would have tormented Picon Minche more than anyone else.

Perhaps that wasn't the case, as he started abruptly shouting at Fin to steal the Bradamante from Jin. He even mentioned something about committing to train him as well.

In any case, Picon seemed quite moved by Jin's words. Tears began to well up in his still-blank eyes.

"Solderet, it seems your latest contractor doesn't have such a bad character after all. I wouldn't mind sharpening his sword with all my effort."

"I wanted to ask before. What do you mean by sharpening the Bradamante? And also, tell me what my ancestor Temar's tomb means to me."

"First of all, I'm sure you're aware that Bradamante was an experiment I conducted to create the Balisada. Despite that, even you Runcandels and the people of the world seem to consider it a legendary sword that is only slightly below the Balisada."

The Bradamante and the Balisada; it was Solderet who requested the creation of the sister swords. As the god of swords and shadows, he thought his contractor, Temar Runcandel, needed a special sword.

While the Balisada was a finished product, Bradamante still had many issues, at least by Picon Minche's standards.

"Although it was just an experiment, it is still a magnificent sword as it represents the best of my abilities at that time. It creates a force close to sixty percent of the Balisada with shadow-based attacks, and it never breaks because it was forged with ancient eversteel."

Picon praised Bradamante for some time, like a loving father showing off his children.

He was a blacksmith through and through, and far beyond the ordinary, even in his human days. He felt much more affection for legendary weapons and masterpieces he created than for his own children.

Bradamante was the third on his list of great works, so naturally, he couldn't stop talking about it.

"But the biggest flaw of Bradamante is that it's unable to protect its wielder."

"Protect? But it's not armor."

"I have forged countless armors throughout my life, but I have never seen an armor better than one formed by Shadow Energy. That's why I devised a function in the Balisada where one can form armor by inserting their Shadow Energy into it."

Picon wanted to add the same function to Bradamante. One of the main reasons he accepted Solderet's idea of transforming him into a god was his desire, as a blacksmith, to turn his incomplete masterpiece into a finished work.

"So, give me Bradamante. I will reforge it and return it to you."

Jin willingly handed over Bradamante. Picon felt overwhelmed with emotion and trembled as he received it.

"I can finally reclaim my baby."

"How long will it take?"

Of course, Jin wasn't too pleased to see him loving an object more than his own family.

But transcendent masters and geniuses who reached the pinnacle of their craft were often very peculiar and somewhat twisted, so it wasn't such a strange sight to behold.

"It will take at least six months, and you will also need to acquire a long list of materials."

"I understand."

"And one of them needs to be retrieved from where Temar was initially buried."

"By saying that Temar was 'initially buried,' it implies that the tomb was moved, which wouldn't have been necessary unless someone attacked and looted the tomb. You also mentioned that the Zipples did something to the tomb. Does that mean there is still something to retrieve?"

Picon smiled.

"Of course there is. The testament of the great knights. Inside there, you will face those in whom Temar once placed his trust."

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