Atlas Territory (6)

Hyun-soo concluded that the Saint's Sword was practically a bug.

He informed Nel of this fact.

Hyun-soo suspected one particular thing.

Nel shared the same opinion.

Hyun-soo focused on that hypothesis.

It made perfect sense.

And the impending server integration update lent even more weight to the theory.

Hyun-soo recalled what Lee Se-jin had said.

'There can't be any absolutes in Ares.'

He avoided the word "absolute."

Absolutely impossible.

Absolutely can't be done.

Absolute, absolutely forbidden. Who'd want to play a game shackled by such restrictions?

Thus, quoting Purum Corp CEO Lee Se-jin, one could say:

"Where's the absolute in Ares?"

Hyun-soo thought back to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠irreparable artifact he'd fixed before.

It was clearly unrepairable by design, yet he'd succeeded.

'If this is a real bug, some dev's mistake, then hey, jackpot for me.'

He'd snag an absurd artifact out of it.

Drawing the Saint's Sword would also reveal some hidden secret in Atlas Territory.

'Of course, since it's "absolutely impossible," it probably ties into another storyline.'

For now, Hyun-soo decided to give pulling it a shot.

He gripped it with both hands and strained for a good ten minutes.

But it didn't budge an inch.

Yet even that total immobility held a clue.

'Rust is flaking off.'

Hyun-soo asked Karn.

"How long has this Saint's Sword been here?"

"800 years. No one's pulled it out in all that time, so it's rusted like this."

Unlike its fancy name, the sword was caked in rust.

Like some ancient blade in a national museum.

And from the flaking rust, Hyun-soo spotted one key fact.

"I think I can pull this out."

The reason Hyun-soo believed he could? Physical force was viable.

First reason: the rust flaking off.

'Second reason: durability.'

No matter how fine a sword, time dulls its edge.

The Saint's Sword, with its original 5,000 durability, had naturally degraded to the 900s over the years.

In other words...

"This sword will shatter if left alone."

"What...!"

Hyun-soo began the groundwork.

To Atlas's residents, this blade was a symbol.

They wouldn't tolerate their new lord smashing or ruining such an icon, no matter who he was.

But he could give them a reason to accept it.

"You'll see for yourselves—it's already ruined."

Karn gazed at the sword with trembling eyes.

He wanted to deny it, but the founding lord's blade had rusted away its former glory.

To Karn, who'd guarded Atlas's relics for centuries, it felt like the sky falling.

"I-is there no way? Even if no one's pulled it, we can't let it shatter like this."

Karn didn't want this holy relic lost.

He turned sad eyes to his new lord, Hyun-soo.

And here, Hyun-soo scored a two-birds-one-stone win.

Their desperation.

He was still a newcomer here.

Just the new lord—not yet one they'd stake their lives for.

But he could earn their deep respect and claim the sword too.

"I'll shatter the Saint's Sword and restore it."

Team Leader Wang doubted his ears.

'R-restoring it? Is that even possible? How could it be?'

To Wang, the "impossible to draw" alert meant irreparable too.

No restoration skill could touch it.

He frantically called Korea's Special User Management Team.

The woman from before, Employee Lee Ji-hee, picked up.

"Is that possible?"

China was new to monitoring User Hyun-soo.

Only Korea's team would know.

The answer hit like a shock.

He asked why, and the reply came.

'S-skill? ...?'

Branches shared info, but not personal user details.

To prevent leaks before server integration.

Wang's face flushed red.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

He tried shifting blame.

Lee Ji-hee replied curtly.

Right, he had.

Wang had dismissed Korea's team outright.

Said no need for their info.

It was all on him.

But Wang clung to one hope.

"Still, drawing and restoring it sounds impossible, right?"

Lee Ji-hee recalled Hyun-soo restoring the composite bow in the beginner zone.

Wang looked puzzled at the cooking analogy.

His eyes wavered.

"It... tastes better...?"

The answer was obvious.

"Ares would recognize it and apply over 100% within the same capabilities, not just 50-100%."

Lee Ji-hee confirmed over the line.

Call ended.

Wang had denied Korea's rumors before.

'They pull all-nighters like eating rice?'

'Their office is home!'

He'd figured the overtime hype was just posturing.

It was 8 PM now.

But Wang and his team had only one option.

"We sit here and monitor till that sword's forged..."

They prayed for a shoddy restoration.

If all hypotheses proved true, China would negotiate directly.

His team got it.

No going home till the sword was done—all-nighter for everyone.

'Yeah, this thing's absurd. Succeed in restoring it, and balance collapses.'

One fact he knew:

'Purum Corp's rule: don't steal what users earn. But something this big? They'll negotiate.'

A way to demand more in those talks:

'Restore it even better.'

Karn said,

"...Please restore this sword for us, my lord!"

Karn had led the residents.

All 1,000+ mourned the sword crumbling on its own.

"My lord..."

"Please, don't let the founding lord's relic vanish..."

"We beg you!"

Hyun-soo replied,

"I'll show you what kind of lord I am."

Restoration began.

Aim to break, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not pull—and the blade snapped clean in half.

Durability drop was the hint; he knew it already.

Key now: would the hilt come free?

Hyun-soo grinned triumphantly.

The broken halves pulled out easily.

Alert confirmed: no more functions left.

Grasping the two pieces triggered another.

Skills couldn't claim it, as expected.

Hyun-soo tossed the pieces into the forge.

And smirked confidently.

'The Saint's Sword holds holy power.'

He had a way to perfect it further.

He pulled out an ore.

One of Asuka's three great ores, unused till now.

No superior holy ore existed on this land currently.

Considering the sword's flaws, he'd mix this in.

Better materials plus superior skill.

Remove impurities from the molten blade.

Melt Asnium into the forge.

Hyun-soo had perfectly diagrammed the original design before.

It'd look the same.

'No—better than before.'

Restoration proceeded.

Hyun-soo worked nonstop for two, three days.

Residents hoped for perfection.

Karn, at the center, urged,

"My lord, please rest a bit..."

"No rest. You've guarded this land's treasures for 800 years—they're precious, right?"

Karn was moved.

(Though Hyun-soo was the type to flail uselessly in water.)

Anyway, forging continued, and after five days, it was done.

Hyun-soo completing it let out a wail.

"Ah, nooo! Nooooo! It's ruined...!"

The cry bordered on a scream.

Clutching his head at the fully restored blade.

Puff puff.

Nicotine.

Gulp gulp—

"Another coffee."

"Team Leader, that's your sixth today."

Caffeine.

"Please fail the restoration, please fail, please fail!"

Gulp gulp!

"Team Leader, alcohol on the job..."

Alcohol.

Team Leader Wang balanced his three major nutrients(?), dark circles heavy under his eyes.

His stiff neck jutted like a turtle's, hair a mess.

Most of China's Special User Management Team looked the same.

Wang finally realized.

Couldn't survive without the big three(?s)!

Hyun-soo finished restoration; completion alert popped.

Followed by his reaction.

-Ah, nooo! Nooooo! It's ruined...!

At the scream, hope sparked in Wang's eyes.

'Thank god, thank god! Home time! No negotiations! No blame on our branch!'

Clinging to that, Wang checked the finished product.

"......"

Seeing it, Wang let out a hollow laugh.

"Ha, haha, hahahaha, hahahahaha."

Laughter interspersed with mutters.

"Words and actions don't match... incredible..."

He briefed his team on the sword.

"Looks like no going home anytime soon."