Chapter 180 - Episode 24. Ancient God (5)
Chapter 180: Episode 24. Ancient God (5)
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Jaehwan sat with Maiad and Runald, drinking tea as they waited for Ignel.
Since coming to the 《Abyss》, he had been drinking an unusual amount of tea. This one tasted as though metal had been steeped in it. Then again, not everyone in the 《Abyss》 could be an expert in tea ceremonies.
“How strange. A master repairing the scabbard his Disciple made.”
Maiad had not touched his tea.
Clanging sounds repeatedly echoed from deeper inside the workshop. It seemed Ignel was conducting some sort of experiment on Dokbul’s scabbard.
A short while later, Ignel drew back the workshop curtain and appeared.
“It is not a scabbard so bad it cannot be used. But its durability is nearly spent.”
The scabbard had been made from the horn of Garnak, the Five-Horned Beast. It had been sturdy enough to endure Jaehwan’s Normal Stab, but that was only true back in 《Chaos》.
Every enemy Jaehwan had faced recently could have hunted Garnak alone.
“You told me news about my Disciple, so I will make you a scabbard as a token of appreciation.”
This was an opportunity to receive a handmade item from none other than Master Craftsman Ignel.
Looking at the cracked scabbard, Jaehwan said, “Can’t you just reinforce this one?”
“You want me to lay hands on this half-baked work?”
“It means something to me.”
Ignel furrowed his brow and was about to speak when Maiad smoothly cut in.
“I do not think it deserves such harsh criticism. Its level of completion is hard to believe for something made by a human.”
“Hmph. What would a brat like you know?”
“The craftsman who made this scabbard must have trained 「Crafting」 for a very long time.”
Maiad’s fingertips brushed across the scabbard’s surface. His touch was delicate, as if he were reading the history tangled within it.
“Only a craftsman who knew they would fail, yet still wished to take one more step forward, could create something like this.”
“It is still something made by a human.”
“That is exactly why it has greater value. I believe Ignel-nim could bring out this work’s hidden potential.”
At Maiad’s gentle words, Ignel awkwardly scratched his cheek.
“The base material is garbage. It is a scabbard made from nothing more than a horned beast’s horn. No matter how much effort I put in, it will be difficult to improve it.”
“Hmm. Is it difficult even for Ignel-nim?”
“This is not a matter of difficulty. Repairing it itself would be meaningless. It is crude and rough, but it has rules and order of its own. Its grade is not high, yet it has a Dignity skill embedded in it. Above all, the creator’s intent to conceal the sword’s true worth is clearly built into its design. That must have been the function requested by the client.”
A Master Craftsman truly was a Master Craftsman. With a single examination, Ignel had accurately grasped the scabbard’s intended purpose.
Maiad spoke in admiration.
“Amazing. Even Ignel-nim cannot touch such a ‘clear design.’”
“I said I will not, not that I cannot.”
“To think there is a weapon that Master Ignel-nim cannot repair...”
“Did you come here to pick a fight?”
“Jaehwan-nim, you may not know this, but Ignel-nim is truly remarkable.”
Ignel looked dumbfounded when Maiad abruptly turned toward Jaehwan.
“People call Ignel-nim things like the ‘Master Craftsman among Master Craftsmen’ and the ‘Last Master Craftsman,’ but Ignel-nim’s ability entered the ranks of Masters long ago. Ignel-nim should have been recognized as a Master long ago, but unfortunately, the Dream Demon Association came to dislike Ignel-nim.”
“Hmph. I do not need recognition from those Association bastards. What would people who only make outdated Towers know about Towers?”
Perhaps feeling better, Ignel set down the scabbard and held out a hand.
“Show me the sword.”
Perhaps it was because Maiad had called Ignel a Master, but Ignel’s eyes had become much more serious.
When Jaehwan handed over Dokbul, Ignel began examining it with deep, focused eyes, from its damaged hilt to its blade.
Jaehwan noticed the finely moving waves of World Force in Ignel’s gaze.
Jaehwan did not trust talent. Yet the movement of World Force unfolding before him could only have been possible in the realm of talent.
Ignel’s World Pressure itself was not particularly high. Still, the ability to manipulate a small amount of World Force at the level of individual particles and scan the blade was beyond human imagination.
“A spirit weapon.”
Ignel did not seem particularly surprised, even after discovering that fact.
Maiad asked, “Is it naturally occurring?”
“It is not.”
“Then it must be someone’s creation.”
After a moment of silence, Ignel shook their head.
“I do not think it is that either.”
“Neither naturally occurring nor someone’s creation? Is that possible?”
“Maiad. There are not only two kinds of possibilities in this world. Just as Adaptation and Awakening are not everything in the world.”
“But in this case, do those two options not encompass every possibility?”
Despite Maiad’s logical argument, Ignel only continued shaking Ignel’s head.
“This is the first time I have seen a case like this. It is worth researching. If you leave me the sword too, I will reinforce the scabbard as you wish. I will not charge you for repairs, either.”
Jaehwan was slightly surprised by the unexpected offer.
“You will not charge me?”
“You do not look like you could pay anyway. How much do you think my commission fees are?”
Jaehwan briefly considered how much trust he had left. Come to think of it, he seemed to have converted all of it into World Force and used it.
“I know your type well. You will probably make some absurd proposal about doing something other than paying me. Like bringing me the scales of the White Dragon Alkaraas, or stealing the claws of Ice Dragon Velkisus. Anyway, you will confidently spout nonsense in the voice of some mass-produced Product climbing a mass-produced Tower.”
Maiad smiled awkwardly at those words.
Runald, who had been listening in from beside them, whispered in admiration, “Actually, I was wondering whether we should offer Andersen-nim as payment, since we do not have much trust left.”
Jaehwan nodded and asked, “How long will it take?”
“One month.”
“That is too long.”
“One month is the minimum. Look somewhere else if you do not like it. Though I do not know whether there is another craftsman nearby who can handle a sword like this.”
Ignel spoke as if going elsewhere would be pointless anyway.
“I will return in a month.”
“You should have said that from the start.”
Grumbling, Ignel took Dokbul and rose from the seat. Dokbul let out a shriek and tried to open its mouth, but Ignel skillfully slid Dokbul into its scabbard. This was not the skill of someone who had handled spirit weapons only once or twice.
Jaehwan watched Ignel for a while, then said, “I need a sword to use in the meantime.”
“Hmm... Well, pick whatever you want from over there.”
Jaehwan looked over the weapons hanging along the wall Ignel pointed to. They were all high-quality arms, but none felt like the right choice.
Jaehwan said to Runald, “Pick one too.”
“Really?”
Jaehwan nodded.
The weapons were rather expensive, but he thought he could afford this much. It was also time Runald used proper equipment.
“What about me?”
“I gave you a necklace.”
“What kind of equipment is that?”
While Jaehwan’s Allies chose weapons, Ignel returned after installing Dokbul on the workbench. Wearing gloves, Ignel opened the glass case.
Maiad asked, “Is that the sword I will use?”
“You are quick to catch on.”
Ignel removed a white sword from the glass case.
[GOD’S COLLECTION.03 ― Coexistence]
It was the model Jaehwan and Maiad had been looking at earlier.
Once it emerged from the glass case, the sword emitted an even nobler radiance. Its light must have been suppressed inside the case.
“I distinctly asked for something at the level of the Three Divine Artifacts.”
“If you make an effort, it may become a Three Divine Artifact. It is the third model in my signature collection.”
When Ignel placed a scabbard over the blade of white light, a beautiful radiance ran along the ornate patterns engraved into it.
Its design resembled cracks spreading from a source of sunlight.
Jaehwan stepped closer to inspect the sword as well. Regardless of its performance, it was the most beautiful sword Jaehwan had ever seen.
“Are there other swords in this series?”
“There are ones that could be called its elders. Ignis took the first model, and Chronos stole the second.”
Runald, who had been looking at the weapons, asked in shock, “Do you mean the God of Flames Ignis and the God of Time Chronos?”
“Are there people who would dare impersonate those names?”
A collection used by none other than the Seven Divine Thrones.
And the newly completed third sword was intended for the man called Maiad before them.
“I am no worse than those two. How should I pay you?”
“I heard your people defeated the White Dragon Alkaraas.”
“If we give you all of it, what are we supposed to live on?”
Maiad sounded grumpy, but did not say Maiad would refuse to pay. Ignel’s work was likely worth that much.
Neat letters, which appeared to be the sword’s name, were engraved on the scabbard’s surface.
Coexistence.
Runald asked, “Is that the sword’s name?”
“Yes.”
“Who named it?”
“Who else? Me, of course.”
Ignel proudly puffed out their chest, and Runald leaned close to Jaehwan’s ear again.
“It sounds like an edgelord name.”
“I heard that.”
“I meant it sounds cool.”
After observing the sword, Jaehwan asked, “Are there any remaining models from the same series?”
“You think there would be remaining models for a sword I might not even make if someone commissioned it? Of course there are...”
A growling sound came from deeper inside the workshop.
A huge beast and a small cat were howling as if competing over who could be louder. The beast must have been Dokbul, so what was the cat?
Jaehwan asked, “It sounds like there is another sword.”
“...”
Ignel glared at Jaehwan with displeasure, then rose and went into the workshop. Shouting continued for a while. A short time later, Ignel appeared with a dull black sword.
“I cannot sell this. It is unfinished. It is a hopeless thing that does not show the slightest sign of ever being completed.”
Showing an unfinished work itself seemed to be a great disgrace to a dream demon. Ignel looked as though Ignel wanted to hide the sword again and again.
“Does this one also have a spirit?”
“It is naturally occurring. That one brought it to me and entrusted it to me, but unfortunately, I failed to forge it.”
Maiad smiled at Jaehwan’s gaze.
“You can tell if you look closely, but its edge is a mess. It is an extremely picky thing.”
It certainly did not look as though it could cut anything. Yet its tip had been sharpened to a point, making it seem suitable for stabbing. More than anything, it looked durable.
“I will take this one.”
“I said it is not for sale.”
“Lend it to me for one month.”
When Jaehwan would not back down, Ignel glared at him with displeasure again. Then, perhaps thinking of something, Ignel said, “I will consider it if you can hold the sword.”
The tone made it clear that someone like Jaehwan could never hold it.
Without hesitation, Jaehwan reached for the sword Ignel offered. Black sparks leaped out, and the sword gave a long cry like a vicious cat. The current was strong enough to burn his hand with anything less than considerable World Force.
Jaehwan endured it without caring that his veins were turning black from the current.
Then the history dwelling in the sword flowed into Jaehwan’s mind.
When he slowly closed his eyes, there was a small stone.
A black stone that had endured rain, snow, harsh winds, and blazing sunlight for a very long time.
「“Black Adamantium. It has not matured yet.”」
There had been someone who found that stone long ago, but passed it by without mining it.
「“It may develop a soul soon.”」
There had also been someone who recognized the stone’s potential long ago.
Through it all, the stone grew harder and harder. Like a being born to accomplish only one purpose in its entire life, it grew harder and harder.
How hard had it become?
Then one day, the stone began to think that it might be the hardest thing in the world.
「“Boss, this looks like a usable mineral.”」
「“It is a spirit stone.”」
A man with ash-gray hair mined the stone. That was its final memory.
It was true that even ores had souls.
It felt different from Dokbul. This was a much more instinctive, primal young soul.
When Jaehwan slowly opened his eyes, the sword was completely settled in his hand. It no longer cried or released electric current.
Ignel looked at Jaehwan with disbelief.
Jaehwan asked, “What is this sword’s name?”
Without a word, Ignel brought over a scabbard. It resembled a narrow gap in a wall, the perfect place for a small cat to hide.
Jaehwan read the name written on the scabbard.
[GOD’S COLLECTION.04 ― Solitary Existence]
Footnotes:
Chapter discussion