Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Iron Sword No. 3
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"Fuck, until now I thought my weapon was dozens of times better than the items other Awakeners carried around, but Iron Sword? Seriously!"
"Excuse me."
"I don't like it... I don't like it one bit! It's an uncomfortable truth. I'd rather not have known!"
"Excuse me?"
"Throw this shitty item away right n—"
"Excuse me, you crazy bitch."
"What! Why are you yapping nonstop like this? You're so damn noisy!"
She looked pissed off.
And she had every right to be.
She'd been calling her weapon by the cool name 'Excalibur' all this time.
Only to have it downgraded overnight to Iron Sword—and No. 3, the most lame-ass name imaginable.
Of course she'd be furious.
But.
"I don't think there's any need to get that mad about it. Even I, who's clueless about items, can tell that sword is a total cheat item."
"Is that supposed to be comforting?"
"It's not comfort. It's a fact."
If I didn't snap her out of this mental breakdown,
I had a feeling the Anomalous Phenomenon and us would team up to kill us both.
So I shared the wiki info I'd checked with her.
⚙ Omnia Wiki ⚙ Iron Sword No. 3 1. Overview 2. Legend 3. Details 1. Overview A sturdy iron sword crafted by the blacksmith artisan named [Iron]. It's the third masterpiece among his masterpieces, perfectly compensating for the flaws of the first and second Iron Swords. 2. Legend [Iron], one of the Fervent Devotees of [The One Who Holds the Memories of Fallen Stars], resolved to forge a sword to honor his great master. He had three materials for the sword. The first material was [adamantium], a metal painstakingly harvested from a fallen star. Since adamantium was a metal impossible to destroy physically, [Iron] believed without a doubt that forging a sword with it would birth the world's strongest famed blade. However, forging the indestructible metal adamantium was no easy task, even for [Iron], a Fervent Devotee of [The One Who Holds the Memories of Fallen Stars]. Even using the divine authority granted to him, he couldn't forge the sword perfectly. In the end, [Iron]'s first sword, 'Iron Sword No. 1,' ended in failure. The second material was the bones of Fervent Devotees who served the Great Beings. Since the bones of Fervent Devotees contained authority, [Iron] believed without a doubt that combining them with iron would birth a famed blade infused with the devotees' authority—the world's strongest. However. Forging a sword using the bones of devotees was blasphemy. The price of blasphemy was severe. [Iron], who paid the price of blasphemy, lost his left hand. The third material was [CENSORED] of [CENSORED]. [CENSORED] [Iron] believed without a doubt that combining this [CENSORED] with iron would birth the world's strongest famed blade. And. The world's strongest famed blade was born. 3. Details It can never be broken. It can sever the target's properties. [CENSORED] "...So it comes with this long-winded legend attached, which makes it seem like an insanely good sword."
When I relayed the wiki contents,
Yoo Euisul tilted her head.
"It sounds way too far-fetched. Isn't it fake?"
"It's real. A sword that can sever the target's properties—spot on, right?"
"Yeah, that's true. Whether the Anomalous Phenomenon spews fire or poison, I can cut it away."
"Then the legend checks out too. The wiki doesn't lie."
"But the lore is too over-the-top."
"The more exaggerated the lore, the more likely it's real."
For example,
Like Lee Jia, the Fervent Devotee of Reflecting Myriad Stars.
Thanks to checking Yoo Euisul's sword, I learned something new myself.
This...
Seems somewhat connected to me.
The 'Iron Sword No. 3' wiki entry mentioned 'Fervent Devotee.'
Coincidence?
It even mentioned 'the price of blasphemy.'
Coincidence?
It says 'Fervent Devotees' possess special authorities.
I can edit the wiki.
And my body's tough.
That could easily be called an authority too.
Coincidence?
...Who knows.
I don't think it's just coincidence.
This [Iron] guy was a Fervent Devotee too.
Forced into fanaticism, just like me—maybe he was in a similar situation.
I became an Archivist.
This guy became a blacksmith.
The pieces fit together too perfectly for coincidence.
I can guess why some parts are censored.
The Omnia Archive probably has ranks.
My rank is Archivist.
If there's an Archivist,
There are probably Special Archivists,
And Super Special ones too.
Higher ranks likely get more access, unlocking censored content.
Eh, it's all speculation anyway.
I can think about it later.
Dealing with the Anomalous Phenomenon comes first.
Fortunately, Yoo Euisul's mentality seemed recovered.
"Fine... A sword made by a blacksmith named [Iron], model No. 3. It's a bit cringy, but I can accept it."
"Seems like a great sword. No wonder you called it Excalibur, Euisul. And it looks like it can evolve even further."
"Not Euisul—Euisul unnie."
"Yes, Euisul."
"...You're such a punk."
Who's calling who a punk?
You're a million times more punkish than me.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "We're almost there. Just over that ridge and we'll see it."
"See what? A golden piggy bank? Or a diffuser?"
"Both. They're right next to each other."
"Do Anomalous Phenomena and items usually spawn stuck together like that?"
"You think there's some set rule to this?"
"...No."
Of course not.
If there were fixed rules, they wouldn't call it 'Anomalous' Phenomena.
Just talking out my ass.
"Is it really okay to get this close? Like, what if within 50 meters, octopus tentacles come flying ou—"
"I already scouted it. It's fine."
"It might activate if two or more people approach."
"Could be. Good point. Done with the questions? Shut up now. You're distracting me."
"So it's not dangerous?"
"Do I look like a folding screen to you? You think I'd just stand there?"
"No, but..."
Suddenly,
Yoo Euisul stopped walking.
"Hey. Hold up. Stop."
"Wh-what? Did something happen?"
"Yeah. It did."
She paused for a moment.
Then stared right through me.
"You happened."
Thwack!
She flat-out smacked my forehead with the flat of her sword.
Yeah.
Not with her palm.
Not a knuckle rap.
With the flat of an Iron Sword made by [Iron].
Momentarily pissed, I forgot my situation and snapped at Yoo Euisul.
"Why'd you hit me, you crazy psycho bitch!"
"Does it hurt?"
"You call that 'hurt'? Getting whacked with an iron sword flat—obviously it hur—"
"But you look fine."
"...Huh?"
Yeah.
It doesn't hurt much.
To be blunt, smashing my head into the floor as 'the price of blasphemy' hurt way more.
Seeing I wasn't acting hurt, Yoo Euisul sighed like she'd expected it and continued.
"I told you, I heard everything about you from Old Man. How many Awakeners do you think have tougher bodies than yours?"
"Pr-probaby most of them are tougher than me...?"
"Wrong. You know I'm immune to mental attacks, right?"
"Yeah. But why bring that up?"
"If I'm immune to mental stuff."
Thud.
She smacked my forehead with the sword flat again and kept going.
"Then you're at a level that's basically immune to physical attacks."
"That's a bit of an exaggeration."
"Do I strike you as the exaggerating type?"
"No. You seem like the type who says whatever, polite or not... Ah, sorry."
"...You've been subtly needling me since earlier, huh?"
"Sorry."
"Anyway, you smashed the lobby table in the Awakener Association with your head, right? That was marble, you know."
"Y-yeah..."
"And it all healed in about an hour. Is that human? It's not."
"..."
How'd she know?
Truth is, I'm not human.
I'm a Fervent Devotee of Reflecting Myriad Stars.
"Point is, why are you cowering like a wet dog? Your body's tough as nails, and you've got me right here. No reason at all to fear some Anomalous Phenomenon."
"...Yeah."
She'd nailed every point perfectly.
Yeah.
The more I thought, the less scary it seemed.
This is...
A matter of perception.
My body turned steel-tough overnight.
It's only been two weeks since.
Since I can forehead-smash marble unscathed...
I could probably take a full hammer swing to the palm too.
But I can't do something that stupid.
Why?
'Cause it'd hurt.
That was common sense: hammer to hand equals pain.
I still perceive myself as a 'normal human.'
And normal humans feel pain from hammer strikes.
But common sense has crumbled.
Just because common sense crumbled doesn't mean my perception did.
In simple terms,
Cognitive dissonance.
Seeing realization dawn on my face, Yoo Euisul nodded.
"Now your face looks decent. Earlier, you were so frustrating I wanted to whack your head, but figured it wouldn't hurt much, so I held back."
"Held back? You already whacked my forehead with the sword flat."
"That was holding back. You said it didn't hurt. I went easy."
"..."
Definitely.
This woman's got the rep of tyrant for a reason.
Still,
Thanks to her, my head's clear now.
"Ready?"
"Yes."
Good.
Let's do this.
Approach within ability-confirmation range of the Anomalous Phenomenon.
Confirm its abilities.
Then book it like hell.
That's my role.
Everything else is on Yoo Euisul.
Once I relay the info, she'll handle it somehow.
"By the way, I'm factoring in your tough body for the strategy. Get it?"
"Y-you don't mean you're gonna use me as a shield...?"
"Bingo. Don't get the wrong idea. It's my last resort—only when I'm dead certain we'd both die otherwise."
"Wow, so reassuring. Let's go."