Chapter 296
Chapter 296
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 296
Chapter Title: Gifts
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“It's a gift.”
Seo Woo-jin set down the large bundle he had packed.
Thud-!
The contents inside were so heavy that the solid training ground floor even caved in slightly.
“A gift?”
Everyone tilted their heads.
They had no idea what Seo Woo-jin had been up to.
He hadn't explained.
But they weren't particularly curious.
They had been through similar situations several times before.
However, this was the first time he had brought back something, calling it a gift like now.
“What is it? What is it?”
Lee Ji-ah bounced around excitedly at the word "gift."
But the others weren't.
“No, gifts on top of everything...”
“We've already received more than we deserve.”
Kang Byung-gyu and Kae Su-ji even looked a bit apologetic.
It couldn't be helped.
The help they had received from Seo Woo-jin so far wasn't just one or two things.
On top of that, even training under the monster known as Half-Slane here at Massive Guardian was thanks to him.
They could feel themselves growing stronger by the day, so accepting a gift in this situation felt too much.
The ones keeping quiet seemed to feel the same.
“Don't feel burdened. I picked these up along the way anyway.”
Seo Woo-jin noticed their feelings and shook his head with a smile.
It was more convenient for him if they grew stronger.
It was a hundred times better to hand them these things and make them stronger than to worry about something going wrong.
‘Besides, I didn't have anything useful for myself anyway.’
The equipment Seo Woo-jin currently possessed was superior to anyone else's in this world.
He carried the first hero's sword ‘Karaniel’ and the cursed demon armor ‘Luden Gardo,’ after all.
Aier's report mentioned numerous treasures, but compared to his gear, they weren't particularly valuable.
‘Though I did pick one for myself.’
It had been a slightly regrettable opportunity, so he chose one roughly and selected the rest as gifts for his comrades.
“So what is it!”
As the gift-opening dragged on, Lee Ji-ah fidgeted impatiently and urged Seo Woo-jin.
“Alright, let's take a look first.”
Seo Woo-jin chuckled and began pulling out the gifts.
“These are swords named ‘Wilderness’ and ‘Firmament.’”
The first things revealed were two swords.
As the names suggested, they weren't made as a matching pair.
But they had good synergy.
“‘Wilderness’ is a holy sword used by one of the Three Great Holy Kings. It has an option for self-healing magic twice a day. And this is ‘Firmament.’”
Shing-
He drew both swords.
Unlike the snow-white ‘Wilderness,’ a blade like the blue sky was revealed.
“This is a holy sword used by the first Holy King. It has an absurd option for constant holy power enchantment.”
In the upcoming Great War of Descent, the enemies they would face were those who wielded demonic energy.
And holy power was the antithesis to them.
“These should be quite helpful in the war.”
Seo Woo-jin handed ‘Wilderness’ and ‘Firmament’ to Yu Hong-seol.
“These...”
She hesitated.
The sword she was using now was impressive enough, but it paled in comparison to these two.
That made it feel even more burdensome.
“Take them.”
Seo Woo-jin forced the swords into Yu Hong-seol's hands.
Now wasn't the time to worry about propriety.
With the Demon King's descent so close, they needed to find every way to grow stronger.
“...Thank you.”
Yu Hong-seol pondered for a moment before bowing her head.
“They're not twin swords, but they're fine to use together. They match well, like they were made by the same person.”
Yu Hong-seol's class was A-rank ‘Dual Blader.’
Considering the class's traits, she would wield them like limbs in no time.
“Now, next up...”
Seo Woo-jin rummaged in the bundle and pulled out a massive axe.
It was the item that had contributed the most to making the bundle so large.
“It's called ‘Soulsever.’ As you can see, it's a pretty vicious one.”
Seo Woo-jin smiled as he lifted the axe.
It was taller than an average person, and the blade exuded so much killing intent it was chilling just to look at.
“It was originally crafted as a sacred relic, but after cutting down so many heads tainted by demonic energy...”
It became cursed.
But it wasn't a fatal curse.
Compared to ‘Luden Gardo,’ it was practically cute.
“The more you use it, the more its hatred for demons amplifies, and you might lose your reason.”
Seo Woo-jin handed ‘Soulsever’ to Goo Dong-hwan.
“Hmm...”
Goo Dong-hwan took the massive axe with a dubious expression.
“Compared to Hong-seol's, this one feels a bit off, doesn't it?”
He liked the appearance.
It was perfect as a new magic wand.
Smashing pots with a hammer was fine, but splitting them would deliver far greater destructive power.
But with that curse, he couldn't help but hesitate to use it.
“Don't worry. The curse isn't that strong, so a hero like you can control it easily. And even if you lose your reason, it doesn't matter.”
“It doesn't matter?”
When he asked what that meant, Seo Woo-jin smiled and replied.
“It's not like you'll go berserk like a mad warrior, attacking friends and foes alike. It only reacts to enemies with demonic energy.”
On top of that, in that state, physical abilities surged dramatically.
If used well, it could massively boost Goo Dong-hwan's combat power.
‘It'll distance him from ‘Magical Girl’ a bit.’
But that had been the case from the start, so it wasn't really a downside.
“Is that so?”
Goo Dong-hwan hesitated a moment before accepting ‘Soulsever.’
He trusted that Seo Woo-jin wouldn't give them something harmful.
“Let's see, next...”
Seo Woo-jin continued pulling out gifts.
To Jin Tae-seong, an ‘Elemental Orb’ that amplified mana with the World Tree's blessing.
To Kae Su-ji, shoes called ‘Rush’ that more than doubled agility.
To Kang Byung-gyu, ‘Perso’ that detected enemy openings and attacked on its own.
To Park Min-seong, ‘Blessing of the Sovereign God’ that could evolve summons several stages.
To Kim Woo-ram, a holy spear ‘Omaron Lancha’ imbued with an area-of-effect spell that could devastate a 30-meter radius three times a day.
To Lee Ji-ah, gauntlets ‘Infinite’ that granted tireless stamina.
And to Ailin, armor ‘Draken’ that constantly stimulated the user's body for much faster growth.
“One left now.”
After quite a long explanation, Seo Woo-jin felt his mouth a bit dry.
But without showing it, he pulled the last item from the bundle.
Unlike the others' flashy gifts, it was a rather plain necklace.
“This one's for Da-hye.”
He handed the necklace to the dazed Kim Da-hye.
“Thank you.”
Even without much explanation, she accepted it.
Seeing that, Seo Woo-jin smiled faintly and added.
“Once a month, it severs and isolates the space around you. The range depends on your mana. Unless it's a Demon King-level being, nothing can breach the barrier.”
Kim Da-hye's eyes sparkled at his words.
“You can save a lot of people by using it in a dangerous moment.”
Seo Woo-jin knew well what she wanted.
She wanted to prevent low-rank soldiers, overshadowed by heroes and knights, from dying meaningless deaths.
He didn't know why.
He just hoped she would.
The necklace Seo Woo-jin gifted, ‘Guardian.’
It was made to protect someone.
Unlike the others that boosted personal power, it wasn't for that—but it seemed perfect for Kim Da-hye.
Was his guess spot on?
Kim Da-hye fidgeted before speaking again.
“...Thank you.”
This time, she even bowed her head slightly, clearly pleased.
“Alright, that's all the gifts.”
Seo Woo-jin stretched with a satisfied smile.
“Thank you!”
“Woo-jin, thank you. I'll make good use of it.”
Everyone expressed their gratitude.
Lee Ji-ah, especially thrilled with her gift, kept equipping the gauntlets and swinging her arms wildly before bowing.
“Glad you all like them.”
There was reward in fulfilling Freya's request, even going over the promised time.
Now he could confidently say his comrades were definitely stronger than before.
Of course, they would need time to adapt to the new gear, but he wasn't worried.
‘Half-Slane will hammer it into their bodies if needed.’
Just like he had done to him.
“This makes up for being late!”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Seo Woo-jin ruffled Lee Ji-ah's hair roughly and continued.
“So, shall we catch up today? Check how much you've grown too.”
The heroes' faces fell.
“Of all days, today?”
“You just got back—shouldn't you rest?”
They were reluctant, but Seo Woo-jin showed no mercy.
“You need to get stronger even a second faster. The lord here is busy, so train with me today. It's been a while.”
* * *
Half-Slane took in Dia Rock sitting before him with his eyes.
His age was excessively young compared to his achieved realm.
‘A genius, huh?’
He had heard the rumors about him.
In the kingdom of knights, Lennistant, a magical genius had appeared.
They said his talent rivaled the empire's Magic Duke?
Of course, the rumors were exaggerated, but it seemed Dia Rock truly had genius-level magical talent.
He had reached the Transcendent realm at such a young age, after all.
“Duke Dia Rock.”
He called out to the man sipping tea with a sullen expression.
Dia Rock looked at him as if asking what was up.
But that was what Half-Slane wanted to ask.
“What brings you to this remote place? It's not a short distance from Lennistant.”
Half-Slane asked with suspicion-filled eyes.
“No particular reason. I'm just a bit interested in that young punk named Seo Woo-jin.”
Surprisingly, Dia Rock answered with full courtesy.
That was because Half-Slane wasn't just some count in a remote minor nation.
He wasn't widely famous, but those in the know recognized him as a powerhouse.
He had even reached the realm of body reconstruction, like the Magic Duke.
Even an arrogant man like Dia Rock had to show respect to such a powerhouse.
“To that kid?”
Half-Slane nodded.
Seo Woo-jin was definitely no ordinary hero.
Especially for those who had reached the Transcendent realm, he was bound to draw interest.
He had shown growth speed catching up to them in such a short time, and he wielded the unknown energy called Chaos.
But Half-Slane didn't fully believe Dia Rock's words.
Was simple curiosity enough reason to come all the way to this distant foreign land? It seemed too flimsy.
“Whew-”
Under Half-Slane's sharp gaze staring him down, Dia Rock sighed.
Then, with a look of resignation, he spoke.
“Have you experienced something called the ‘Chaos World’?”
‘Chaos World’?
It was a term Half-Slane had never heard.
“First time hearing it...”
When he shook his head, Dia Rock continued quietly.
“It's a technique Seo Woo-jin used. Heroes call it a skill.”
The atmosphere grew heavy.
“I sensed the Demon King's trace there.”