Chapter 148: An Unexpected Magic Sword
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 148: An Unexpected Magic Sword
I was only able to speak with Jang Ye Ri after I'd spent some time consoling Baek Ahyeon in her tent. Even after several days, the shock of that scene seemed to have been greater than I’d thought, to the point that Baek Ahyeon wasn't even touching her food. The aftereffects seemed to linger even after I bought her a new ring. It was likely because the feeling of being directly connected, like with the Ring of Covenant, was gone.
That connection certainly provided a sense of stability, but that wasn't its only feature.
And thanks to its drawbacks, I now found myself in a very bewildering situation.
[You don't seem to be in a good mood.]
[That's not necessarily the case.]
Her voice sounded displeased to anyone who might hear it. But since she denied it, it wasn't my place to press the issue. Just as I was about to get to the main point, her voice came through again.
[However, since you insist, I shall speak. Are we not in an alliance?]
[We are.]
[I don't know where you learned the human tongue, but there is something you do not quite grasp about them.]
Unfortunately, I was completely human on the inside. Still, I decided to play along.
[I'm listening.]
[Since we have decided to work together, it is no different than us being one. To not break the trust between us, we must communicate with at least a minimum of sincerity. Even if the communication has no special content, we must give each other our full attention. This is proper etiquette, and it builds trust. Of course, you and I are both demons, but I believe we should learn what we can from human culture. I would appreciate it if you would be considerate of me, as I am still more accustomed to their ways.]
[I see... I understand.]
Of course, I had never heard such a thing on Earth or on this continent. No, on second thought, I had. It was remarkably similar to things I'd heard when texting with a girlfriend. It was quite fascinating to hear her say this, considering she was born here and had never used KakaoTalk or sent a text message in her life.
[Hmph... Do not misunderstand. I was merely expressing my hope that our alliance and trust would not be broken.]
[I understand perfectly. Thank you for teaching me something new.]
[Hmph... I, too, have received much from you, so there is no need for thanks. I shall slowly teach you about human culture from now on. It will be of great help to you as well.]
Though I knew more about human culture than anyone, I decided to play along with Jang Ye Ri and spoke.
[By the way, I was wondering how the story is progressing.]
[He took the bait. It seems he will be leaving the city for an expedition in the near future. Some of my father's forces who follow my brother will be accompanying him, so it would be best to prepare thoroughly.]
[The numbers?]
[It seems there will be about a hundred of them.]
That was a far greater number than I’d expected. At this rate, it would be easier to just fight them as a group. As if reading my thoughts, Jang Ye Ri sent another message.
[Engaging them in battle is dangerous. My brother aside, his protectors are strong. Your tribe members could be injured, and you could be injured as well. Most importantly, the humans in that group are not yours to take. They are my share.]
[Understood.]
I didn't know what had happened, but her resentment seemed to run quite deep.
[Among them, only a handful possess soul-bound weapons, so it shouldn't be difficult for you and the wolf you ride to make an escape. A few of my people are also included in the expedition, so they should be able to handle things well.]
And so, I spoke with Jang Ye Ri at length. When I put my full sincerity into even the most trivial communications, just as she wanted, she seemed quite pleased. Given her position, it seemed she enjoyed being treated with deference.
Currently, I was outside with Jung Hayeon. We were here to create a dungeon for the Weapon Thief to further inflate the false rumors.
“Taesung. Will this spot be alright?”
It was only natural that Jung Hayeon, on a rare outing that wasn't quite an outing, was overjoyed. Riding together on Ibar must have felt like we were going for a drive. We were in the middle of a swamp, the farthest point from the Brother's Land. It was even more remote than my usual hunting grounds, but since Jang Ye Ri was continuously leaking our location, the actual spot wasn't all that important.
“This should be fine.”
“Yes.”
As soon as I finished speaking, roots began to rise from the ground. Roots sprouted from the rotten earth where no life could survive, and they were even entwined with weapons. Of course, there was nothing of value inside, but the entrance, at least, looked plausible.
Around this time, Jung Hayeon and I began hunting the unlucky humans who passed through this area. Fortunately, this act lent more weight to the absurd rumor.
A rumor spread that the Weapon Thief was killing humans, but the important point wasn't the fact that humans were dying.
‘Why did he kill them?’
A few humans began to focus on why the Weapon Thief, who had never killed humans before, had suddenly started. The conclusion they reached was connected to the fact that his home base was nearby. I had to continuously leave traces of my presence here, so one day, while I was living in the area and had slightly reduced the frequency of the Weapon Thief's activities...
[I heard they leave tomorrow morning. I expect good results.]
[Acknowledged.]
[............]
[Thank you. Please continue to keep me updated.]
[I will. I haven't leaked the exact location, so I can't be certain they will head there, but they will likely approach the vicinity. It's about a day's run between this city and that area, so they should arrive soon.]
And so, I began to wait for them. The ones to watch out for weren't the one using the Reaper's Scythe, but those around him. I needed to be a little careful, as some of them might have the ability to summon and re-summon weapons, or might even possess items that were immune to my weapon-swapping ability.
The main threat was the archers. A maximum range of two hundred meters was quite far, but it was within the effective range of skilled archers. The probability was extremely low, but if all the archers possessed what were commonly called soul-bound weapons, I thought it could get quite rough.
The problem was getting close. I calmed my mind and continued to communicate with Jang Ye Ri. Little by little, the sky began to darken. I thought it was better to continuously track the humans' location rather than stay in a fixed position, so I constantly focused my magic into my ears and eyes.
A large group offers safety, but it moves slowly.
No matter how well-trained the unit, they couldn't help but reveal their position.
Traces, noise, and so on. If you brought a large force, you had no choice but to give up on stealth. I was walking slowly through the forest with Ibar when it happened. In the dark of night, a large light began to appear in the distance.
[Spotted.]
[It would be best to first confirm if there are archers. It's highly likely that a few archers have gone ahead to scout the path. The purpose of this expedition is not to capture you, but to find your dungeon, so the job might be a bit easier if they are on the move.]
[The numbers are indeed small...]
The night is more advantageous for monsters. Normally, the standard procedure is to set up camp after dark and rest while posting guards, but whether they were overconfident or short on time, they were moving with considerable haste.
It was just as Jang Ye Ri had reported. The expedition's quality was by no means low, but their commander was an idiot. Even I, who had spent years moving through the dregs of society, knew how important rest was.
[I'm going.]
[Fight well. I'll pray you don't get hurt...]
I didn't start by bursting forth with magic. There was no need to announce my presence from this far away. A few skilled archers were already ahead, scouting for my dungeon.
I didn't know the quality of the archers in the main body, but the situation had become much better.
[There is one archer with a soul-bound bow. He's missing one eye. His unique ability is Magic Bullet Marksman. He has arrows that will follow you to the end, so I recommend taking the hit rather than dodging.]
[Acknowledged.]
As Ibar accelerated to top speed, I could feel the wind whipping against me. And yet, we were stealthy. In fact, we were now within the archers' range. But they still hadn't spotted me.
[My brother is likely to be at the vanguard.]
[Acknowledged.]
After hearing her words, I immediately began to turn Ibar. If he wasn't in the middle, tightly surrounded by his troops, but at the very front, it would actually be easier for me to attack.
“It's the Weapon Thief! Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!”
“Prepare for battle! All archers, ready!”
It seemed they had noticed my approach. Still, I had shortened the time considerably. I focused magic into my eyes and quickly began searching for the puppet holding the giant scythe. He was indeed positioned at the very front. He was being protected by warriors, but upon seeing me, he seemed to get excited and was about to swing the scythe.
[As I said, the Reaper's Scythe is a weapon capable of a ranged attack that cuts through space the moment it is swung. This function is usable even without completing the ownership ritual. However, it is not without its weaknesses.]
[If you just watch the direction of the swing, you should be able to dodge it. Its range covers everything within your line of sight, but the direction of the attack is fixed.]
[Acknowledged.]
In the end, it meant the weapon's wielder was what mattered. As if planning to take my head off, the fool swung the scythe high above him.
I heard a faint whizz, but of course, I had no intention of stopping.
“Ibar!”
“Grrrrrrr!”
I lowered my upper body, and Ibar lowered his as well. Ibar's speed, maintained even while his body was crouched as low as possible, was truly astonishing. I felt a chill pass over my horns, but I wasn't cut.
Arrows rained down at the same time, but Ibar dodged them all by kicking off from side to side. The arrow that followed me to the end was powerful, but not so much that I couldn't parry it. It was likely from the archer Jang Ye Ri had mentioned. It seemed he had remained with the main force instead of scouting ahead.
“You thieving bastard!”
He swung the Reaper's Scythe again, but it was quite predictable. Seeing the rotten trees behind him get sliced away in chunks, it seemed it was indeed a weapon worthy of being compared to a holy sword. It appeared to be a weapon with excellent functionality even without the ownership ritual.
The warriors and melee swordsmen also charged toward me, but unfortunately for them, this was now my range.
‘Weapon Switch.’
My target was precisely the Reaper's Scythe. I swapped it with the Archmage Isaac's Throwing Dagger I was holding, and just as his expression turned dumbfounded, I retrieved the throwing dagger as well.
“Get... get that son of a bitch!”
‘Stupid bastard.’
I swung the scythe at the warriors and archers rushing toward me. In an instant, a huge chunk of my magic was drained. I had thought it wouldn't be a big deal since a fool was using it, but true to being the son of a powerful man, it seemed he had a rather high magic capacity, as if he'd been chugging elixirs. Seeing me swing the scythe, the charging warriors raised their shields, but the space-rending slash cut right through the shields and all.
As Jang Ye Ri wished, I tried not to kill them, but some casualties were unavoidable. It was at that moment, as I was about to pull back...
“You bastard!!!! Get that son of a bitch! Don't you dare let him escape! Don't you dare!”
The fool was charging toward me, screaming, with a new sword in his hand.
‘He just bought it.’
It was an item I hadn't seen until just a moment ago. After having the Reaper's Scythe stolen, he had immediately entered the shop and bought a new weapon. He must have a taste for brand names, because it looked like a pretty decent item. It had to be worth at least several million points. I used Weapon Switch once more, and the sword in his hand flew into mine.
Simultaneously.
[Dainsleif - The legacy of the magic sword Dain acknowledges you as its master.]
[Quest Complete.]
A voice that made me want to shout for joy echoed in my ears.