Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Sword's True Form
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Clack!
“What’s this?”
Why isn’t it sliding in?
Jae-hyeok’s sheath and Iyarugut were clearly different sizes at a glance.
The length alone differed by over thirty centimeters.
Did the Troll Lord leave behind a grudge before dying that turned into a curse?
Was he hallucinating because of it?
As soon as Iyarugut fit perfectly into the sheath, Jae-hyeok noticed, dispelling even that suspicion.
The hilt had changed into a familiar shape.
“No way?”
Jae-hyeok slowly drew the sword from the sheath.
A familiar dark gray backsword emerged.
It retained all of Iyarugut’s power intact.
“…Items sure are mysterious.”
Did its form change based on specific conditions?
And that condition was probably…
‘My will.’
When Jae-hyeok willed the backsword to reveal its ‘true form.’
Swaaaaa…
A red aura rose, and the dark gray blade instantly transformed into a red, translucent sword blade.
‘Are all legendary items like this?’
No, that couldn’t be.
Weapons used by top players inevitably gained fame.
Among them, a few were particularly renowned for their ‘transformation’ ability.
If shape-shifting was the default for legendary items, there’d be no reason for those specific ones to stand out.
Thump, thump, thump!
Jae-hyeok’s heart pounded fiercely.
A sword and a backsword were distinctly different.
The reason he’d managed any counter in his exchange with Deodor was the unexpected ‘reverse edge slash’ using the sword’s double edges.
If Iyarugut had been a backsword instead of a sword, he could have braced the flat of the blade with his hand against the back, enduring Deodor’s attacks with greater force more easily.
In other words, their usage and strengths were completely different.
Being able to swap between sword and backsword at will was an enormous advantage.
Any future enemies facing Jae-hyeok would feel like they were up against two different swordsmen.
Clack!
After confirming Iyarugut revert to the backsword upon sheathing, Jae-hyeok conducted various experiments.
He hoped the backsword might transform into a bow or spear, or something else.
Unfortunately, no such convenience occurred.
The only form Iyarugut could take was the backsword, symbol of House Kang.
‘That means.’
Iyarugut’s shape-shifting wasn’t an inherent item ability but something like magic or a spell.
They couldn’t bear to discard the backsword that had become House Kang’s symbol.
Or Iyarugut was too conspicuous, making its wielder a target.
Or perhaps there was some issue tied to Iyarugut itself, and so on.
For whatever reason, his ancestors had felt the need to conceal Iyarugut.
‘And the secret to this was probably passed down only to the family head, generation after generation.’
That’s why he’d known nothing about it.
In other words, this sword originally belonged to his father.
‘Father designated me as successor long ago.’
Emotion surged over him like a tidal wave.
His body trembled with exhilaration.
Learning that the person he respected and loved most had trusted him from the start filled him with joy.
He even felt reborn.
Regaining his composure, he steeled his resolve.
‘Let’s work harder.’
As the next family head, he would revive House Kang.
The vow he reaffirmed several times a day now carried even greater weight.
The next item Jae-hyeok pulled out was a book emitting a faint jade glow.
The skill book dropped by the Troll Lord.
[King’s Roar]
Lv. 1
Rarity: Unique
Unleash the innate majesty of a king to briefly plunge targets into fear.
Applies to up to 3 targets. The lower the target’s level or total stats compared to the caster, the higher the chance of inflicting fear.
Cooldown: 10 minutes
Mana Cost: 300
‘A status ailment skill!’
Jae-hyeok acquired it without hesitation.
His second and third skill slots were free to fill and empty anyway.
There was no reason not to learn a hard-earned skill.
Especially one that inflicted status ailments instantly—its value was astronomical.
Skills that applied status ailments usually required meeting ‘specific conditions’ to activate.
For example, to poison an enemy, Jae-hyeok had to slash with a poison-coated blade or burst a poison pouch to cover them in sand.
But King’s Roar just required a shout.
‘Still, I should avoid using it where witnesses might see.’
Use this skill in Lion’s Castle?
It’d be like advertising to the world that he’d stolen the skill book from the Troll Lord.
Who knew what the Martial Force would do to him.
‘At best, nothing good.’
Jae-hyeok shuddered, recalling the Martial Force members whispering about Raid Squad 2 and 5.
Assault teams with S-Rank players.
At this point, drawing their attention would only shorten his lifespan.
***
“Fuck! What kind of bullshit is that!?”
Boom!!
Raid Squad 2 leader Gwon Sachul’s office shook like it had been hit by an earthquake.
It was the aftermath of the ashtray he’d hurled smashing into the wall.
An S-Rank player.
Among active players, he could be called the strongest.
Unlike National Treasures, who rarely stepped out due to duties safeguarding national events and security, he actively operated on the front lines.
That made him what most players feared most.
“Of all times, this shit happens on our turn? Fuck!”
Gwon Sachul, a heavyweight in the Association, was infamous for his explosive temper.
Unless it was the Association Chairman, top military generals, or the three National Treasures—even the president couldn’t restrain him.
“What? A Death Knight? You’re telling me we missed the once-a-year chance over one fucking monster? Does that make sense, you retarded fucks!!”
Unable to hold back, Gwon Sachul punched his deputy commander in the face.
The deputy, a top player just five levels from S-Rank, couldn’t withstand the power in that fist.
Even seeing his deputy turned into a bloody mess in front of the subordinates didn’t quell Gwon Sachul’s rage as he fumed.
“That fucker Kim Sayeong still mocks me with the skill he got from the Lord every time he sees me! You want me to endure that shit until next year? You wanna watch me die of anger!? Think I’ll go down pretty alone, you fucks!? If I die, you’re all getting buried with me!!”
The Troll Lord respawned three months after death.
Then it needed three months to grow.
Meaning Troll Lord raids were possible only twice a year.
With the Association’s Assault Teams and the Foundation’s splitting one each, it was effectively once a year.
And they’d blown it pointlessly.
A Death Knight had appeared out of nowhere, killed the freshly spawned Troll Lord, and fled.
“Why the hell wasn’t anyone on guard!”
“The raid zones were split into three today… We planned to assign guards after handling the raids.”
“You threw all of Squad 2 and 5 at three measly raids? How many are you? Combined, eighty, right? Couldn’t spare even one or two? You incompetent fuck!!”
“……”
*It would’ve been possible if you and the Squad 5 leader had joined the raids.*
The deputy swallowed the retort rising to his throat and tried redirecting Gwon Sachul’s fury.
“But was this really just coincidence?”
“What?”
“Even with guards, the result would’ve been the same, I think. Do you remember Kang Jae-hyeok?”
“Kang Jae-hyeok…? Yaksha’s son?”
“Yes. They say Kang Jae-hyeok lured the Death Knight into the Troll Lord dungeon.”
“That punk deliberately screwed us over?”
“Yes. And wasn’t he personally enrolled by the Chairman? Could be at the Chairman’s behest…”
“Bullshit.”
Gwon Sachul’s response was nonchalant.
His demeanor was so calm now, it made one doubt if his earlier gorilla-like rampage had been an act.
“That kid was level 10 not long ago, right? If you were the Chairman, would you use a weakling like that as bait to lure a named-grade Death Knight? He’d get caught and squashed like a bug in seconds.”
“……”
“A Death Knight chasing that rookie all the way to the Troll Lord dungeon doesn’t add up. If it really happened, Jae-hyeok would’ve been killed before reaching the dungeon, and the Troll Lord would be fine. The Death Knight had a different goal from the start.”
Being S-Rank meant at least level 100.
A realm achieved by hunting millions of monsters.
Not something reachable just with great skills or items.
Wisdom, charisma, insight, drive, etc.
S-Rank players possessed one or more exceptional talents, and Gwon Sachul was no exception.
“Yaksha’s son is just a smokescreen. Someone else used him to lure the Death Knight.”
As Gwon Sachul rose from his chair, he gave the impression of a bear stretching after crouching.
“Deputy, compile testimonies from the teacher and students who encountered the Death Knight and find clues. Focus if any mention it seemed to be searching for something.”
“Yes.”
“The rest of you, come with me to pursue the Death Knight. We have the justification. It stole our prey first, so if we claim the raid rights, no other Martial Force unit will object.”
“But if the search teams missed it, pursuit won’t be easy. We might have to comb the entire island for days, and our raid schedule—”
“Hand it to Squad 5.”
“But that’d mean massive losses for us?”
“Ugh, you idiot.”
Gwon Sachul clicked his tongue.
“We can afford to swing at air. Wandering for ten days or half a month stamps it as *our* prey. Plus, owing Squad 5 a favor is a bonus.”
Monsters couldn’t leave Lion’s Castle.
A named-grade Death Knight surpassing the Troll Lord’s value.
It would reveal itself eventually, so securing hunt rights in advance was key.
The massive loss was a gateway to an even greater opportunity.
***
At the same time, the pitch-black cliffs by the coast.
[You?]
Deodor flinched upon returning to his tomb.
His joints creaked throughout his body.
A chill that had seized the area began freezing him solid.
“Long time no see, Deodor.”
[…Yaksha’s servant.]
White Night, Seol Sua.
She smiled gently.
The words of Deodor treating Korea’s National Treasure like someone’s attendant didn’t bother her in the slightest.