Chapter 55. The First Mana Stone Weapon (2)

Jeonghyeon sat there blankly all day long with a hollow expression on his face.

"……."

He just stared vacantly at the Han River flowing by until the sun set and night deepened.

Philip, Nus, and the Wakin sisters didn't come looking for him. They were giving him space, figuring he needed time alone to think.

- No matter how crushing the sense of loss, you still need to pull yourself together. If not for your own sake, then for the people following you, right?

Uldran's voice returned once his strength recovered. At those words, Jeonghyeon half-mechanically pulled up his status window.

"Yeah. You're right."

Still, he'd cleared the quest, so there had to be some reward.

'Maybe the answer's in there.'

'Goddamn it.'

The words SSS-rank hunter hit heavy. As far as Jeonghyeon knew, she was the strongest human aside from himself before her final growth—and gathering loyalty for her was this hard?

Comparing it to making F-rank Philip a dominated subject...

"Even if Philip's weak as hell, this is overkill."

- What was that? Are you looking down on my awakener right now?

Screw it, ignore him.

Jeonghyeon immediately checked the next hidden quest reward.

Hoo. This was pretty damn useful.

He could earn domination EXP without even fighting in the Tower.

'This changes things.'

Ideas started forming in Jeonghyeon's head.

Just like he'd told Hwang Dooman—gather hunters, form a small guild, have the Wakin sisters craft their gear.

Running that guild alone would rack up domination EXP nonstop.

Use those points to strengthen the guild members.

"Hell, with just ten members, this could be fun."

A faint smile crept onto Jeonghyeon's previously dour face.

Gaining momentum, he finally checked the main quest reward—the one with the stingiest payout and zero expectations.

He wasn't even excited; it was basically just peeking at the next quest.

"Figures the reward's trash... Huh?"

Past memory playback? What the hell was this unpredictable quest prize? Curiosity piqued, he moved to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠activate it right away.

'Climb to 25 using only dominated subjects...?'

He tilted his head in confusion when his left eye flared red, as if urging him to check quickly.

"Alright, alright, I got it."

Jeonghyeon dismissed the status window and hit past memory playback.

"Can I pick the part I want?"

Might be useful.

With no suspicion, Jeonghyeon confirmed playback.

Bzzz-!

A bizarre noise and alien sensation spread through his right eye. Then agony hit, vision warped, and Jeonghyeon's body floated up without liquefying.

'What?'

No voice came out. Looking down shifted his gaze to his own body sitting in the field.

'Astral projection...? The Demon King's showing me the past like some cheesy trope?'

Jeonghyeon was almost impressed by how juvenile it was.

Then, an unbelievable—no, unwanted—status window appeared before him.

The translucent window clearly displayed "Floor 20 Grudge."

To Jeonghyeon, that meant only one thing: ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠losing his old comrade Gwangho.

'...Shit. If it's this memory, I didn't wanna see it. Cancel! No cancel option?!'

'Hey! No cancel?!'

'You bastard!!'

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

***

"Jeonghyeon... you sure about this?"

'Damn it.'

The voice, over a decade old, momentarily slipped his mind. That deep, reassuring bass had given early Jeonghyeon such solid faith just by hearing it.

Lee Gwangho. Jeonghyeon's first comrade as a hunter—and the first he lost.

Unlike the sleazy opportunists who piled on after Solgaleh's revelation, hoping to mooch scraps, Gwangho's first words were, "Care for a spar? I'd love a lesson from Solgaleh's awakener."

Back then, Jeonghyeon wielded just a basic longsword, while genius Gwangho handled everything from spears to daggers freely. Overtraining had turned his hair white early, earning him "White-Haired Swordsman."

If he'd lived, he'd rival Serin.

'No. If Gwangho had gotten Solgaleh's revelation instead of me... we wouldn't be here.'

Gwangho would've slain the Demon King and restored peace.

Jeonghyeon cherished, respected, even admired him that much.

They bonded instantly over swords, climbed the Tower for bigger goals.

After nearly two years like brothers, Gwangho would die here today.

In ridiculously low Tower Floor 20.

"Don't worry, hyung. It's nothing."

Past Jeonghyeon was a fresh twenty-something, unscarred. Eyes alive, hand trembling faintly on his long sword.

He faced the massive chimera monster.

It looked so weak now—even Philip could squash it. Why had it terrified him then?

'Tch.'

Transparent and following fate, past Jeonghyeon squeezed his eyes shut with a deep sigh.

But bodiless, eyelids didn't budge.

"You good?"

He glanced to Gwangho's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠side.

'That bastard too...!'

The culprit behind Gwangho's death. Some nameless hunter hack trembling there.

"Y-Yes!"

The hunter stammered, on the verge of tears.

Short, scrawny, bowl cut, skinny limbs. A teen hunter, was it?

Didn't care to remember details.

"Grrr...!"

The lion-faced chimera—like a manticore—crouched low, flapping new wings wide.

Ras Ghoul loved lions, stamping the motif on all creations. Prototype chimera included.

"I'll go first, hyung—hit the back. Jeonghu, you..."

Right. That punk's name was Jeonghu. Now he remembered.

A-rank Storm Dragon Mirtus awakener who couldn't use a single ability properly.

"Just don't die. Please."

Jeonghyeon left words fit for a civilian and charged the chimera.

The fight looked pathetic now.

Past Jeonghyeon left openings, took hits—blood sprayed from side and arms.

Swinging form sloppy; blade barely pierced hide.

Kyaaek!!

Just provoked it.

"Thanks, Jeonghyeon!!"

Gwangho circled to the blinded side, dagger plunging into the monster's flank.

Squelch-!

Tough hide tore; chimera's jaws released Jeonghyeon in agony.

Kyaaek!

"Ngh!"

Shoulder mangled, Jeonghyeon thought he was done—but stabbed the eye before it turned on Gwangho.

Crunch! Dull thud echoed in the cave.

One-eyed chimera staggered sideways.

Gwangho yanked his dagger free and retreated.

'Finish it there!'

Frustrated, Jeonghyeon yelled, forgetting it was memory.

Of course, no sound.

"Kye...!"

C calmer now, chimera dodged between them, taking slashes.

Hide tore, claws broke, wing ripped.

Weak by today's standards, but promising back then.

'End it! Please!'

Jeonghyeon prayed as a reedy voice filled the cave weakly from behind.

"I-I'm here too!!"

Damn Jeonghu.

He charged blindly, eyes shut, head down—no power behind it.

Kyaaek!!

Furious chimera leaped at the noise.

"Ugh... Aaaagh!!"

Peeking, Jeonghu froze under the shadow.

"Damn it! You take the kill!!"

Foolishly chivalrous Gwangho dashed without hesitation to shield him.

Crack!!!

Fangs shredded flesh, snapped bone.

Blood sprayed—not Jeonghu's.

"Shit!! Gwangho hyung!!"

Jeonghyeon mounted the exposed back, driving deep into the nape.

Close range pierced tough hide easily.

'...'

Chimera collapsed bleeding; stunned Jeonghyeon supported Gwangho.

"Hyung...! Hyung!!"

"Jeong... hyeon... ah... Hng... Hah..."

Gwangho's throat and collarbone were torn out saving Jeonghu.

Blood poured; past Jeonghyeon screamed not to die.

Elixirs poured, healer salves applied—no healing.

Recovery skills meant nothing before certain death.

But watching, Jeonghyeon focused not on the death.

'This... this is why it showed me the memory...'

He eyed terrified, backing Jeonghu—overlooked amid grief before.

'So that's why the damn mana stone weapon was gauntlets?'

Gauntlets on both fists.