The Awakening of the Crescent Moon
Hiss—
White steam rose from every crevice and connection point of the Essence Condenser. It was the byproduct of the cooling process, meant to vent the heat generated during the operation. However, the amount of steam was far less than expected.
Under normal circumstances, this massive main workshop would be completely filled with steam before the cooling process finished. But looking at the thin wisp escaping the condenser now, it seemed like it wouldn't even be enough to fill a cramped studio apartment, let alone the main workshop. The operation had been so efficient that the condenser hadn't even had time to overheat. It was to the point where the cooling function hadn't even been strictly necessary.
‘How long did it take?’
Hana Lin checked the duration recorded on the dashboard. Twenty-eight minutes. The work had been completed just twenty-eight minutes after it began. It was a result that beat the minimum estimated time of five hours by four hours and thirty-two minutes.
What Kim Ilshin had achieved wasn't just a reduction in time. The quality of the final product far exceeded expectations as well.
‘The stabilization is perfect, and the power has increased even further… Is this even possible?’
She was even more astonished because she knew this wasn't a result born of mere luck. It was something that couldn't even be attempted without Kim Ilshin’s impossibly precise senses and mana control. In the final moments, he had even appeared as if he had become one with the Hyeonwol. His mana, moving as if reading the heart of the sword, had been like a master painting a masterpiece.
‘I knew he had talent, but…’
This was a level that transcended the realm of common sense.
Wuuuung—
A clear, resonant sound rang out from the stabilized Hyeonwol. She had heard the sword’s chime many times before, but the resonance echoing now felt entirely different. It wasn't a chime produced intentionally by channeling mana into the blade. This sound was the expression of the Hyeonwol’s own inner heart, having sprouted a faint, budding ego.
Weapons that accumulate countless experiences alongside their masters sometimes develop an ego. But for that to happen, a deep communion with the master is essential—a feat even more difficult than reaching the state of Shin-geom-hap-il (the unity of sword and spirit). It wasn't just about the master wielding the sword; the sword, which previously possessed no self, had to fully accept the master.
Usually, this was achieved by crossing countless lines of death together or training for an eternity, allowing the master’s will to permeate the steel. But the method Kim Ilshin used to commune with the Hyeonwol was on a completely different trajectory.
‘This must be the first time something like this has happened.’
Kim Ilshin had built the foundation by resonating their respective waves during his daily training. During the stabilization process, he had succeeded in the communion by manipulating the fundamental power within the Hyeonwol.
‘It’s as if it has become an entirely different sword.’
A sword that has achieved communion shares everything with its master, and the same is true for the master. The sword understands all of the master’s swordsmanship and mana flow, allowing it to manifest amplified power. The master, in turn, can replicate the optimal movements the sword desires, drawing out its potential to the absolute maximum.
‘I want to swing it right now.’
If this place weren't filled with high-tech equipment, he would have started already. The countless flashes of insight flooding his mind were following a single path, fusing together to create a massive realization. This wasn't just Kim Ilshin’s realization. The Hyeonwol, vibrating in his grip, was unraveling its own intent and delivering it to him, and Kim Ilshin was accepting it entirely. Thus, he was now on the verge of the birth of a new sword.
Kruuuuung!!
At that moment, a vibration shook the building. The ground beneath their feet trembled, and the lights flickered repeatedly. Kim Ilshin caught Hana Lin, who was about to lose her balance and fall, and waited for the shaking to stop.
Kugugu-gu…
The vibration ceased as abruptly as it had begun, only a few seconds later.
“…What was that? An earthquake?”
“I don’t think so.”
It hadn't originated from anywhere nearby. Judging by the sensation, the vibration had started from the exact opposite side of the facility. And at the complete opposite end of the Mountain Range Workshop from where Kim Ilshin stood, lay the entrance to the Jangsan-gul.
‘Something serious must be happening.’
The vibration had reached all the way here, far from the entrance. If the intensity was enough to shake a large building even at this distance, it meant the force acting at the entrance was enough to shake an entire city, at the very least.
“Let’s head out first.”
He would need to go outside to grasp the exact situation. Kim Ilshin and Hana Lin passed through the corridor and stepped out of the Mountain Range Workshop.
“Run away quickly!”
“Grab the kids first! Leave the useless stuff behind!”
The voices echoing from outside as they moved through the hallway were deeply ominous. If nothing else, it was clear that the situation was extremely dire.
“What is going on…”
Hana Lin muttered in a trembling voice as she witnessed the scene outside the workshop. The moment they stepped out, they saw a procession of citizens rushing urgently toward somewhere. Everyone was packed with luggage in both hands, looking like refugees fleeing a war.
“Please move slowly and in an orderly fashion!”
Kim Ilshin scanned the surroundings and spotted a dwarf firefighter directing the citizens. He approached him immediately and asked.
“What is the situation?”
“Can’t you see? We’re evacuating! You should follow along quickly, too! We have to get out before the gate is breached!”
After saying that, the firefighter ran off to continue directing the crowd. It was a short conversation, but it was enough to grasp the situation. The place those citizens were heading was the evacuation route that started from the Jangsan-gul, passed through Gwanaksan Mountain, and reached near the main road. And in the game, the moment that evacuation route was used was when the Rock Spirit sealed within Gwanaksan Mountain was released.
Furthermore, the gate that operated in emergencies to seal the entrance of the Jangsan-gul was thick and sturdy enough to withstand several massive magic spells. If there was an entity capable of exerting enough physical impact to breach such a gate in a short time, there was only one thing it could be in this vicinity.
“Kim Ilshin! What do we do now—”
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwang—!!
The moment a flustered Hana Lin approached him, another massive vibration occurred. An impact even greater than the last swallowed the entire Jangsan-gul.
“Eek! …Huh?”
This time, he caught Hana Lin by the shoulders to steady her as she nearly fell completely. She looked dazed for a moment before clearing her throat and thanking him.
“Th-thanks…”
“Yeah.”
“So, what are you going to do now? Shouldn’t we go out with those people, too?”
“…Hmm.”
Normally, joining the evacuation procession would be the right choice. Facing a spirit without sufficient preparation was impossible. Especially if it was the massive Rock Spirit that had been sealed in Gwanaksan Mountain. While it was currently attacking the gate with a physical manifestation in reality, spirits were fundamentally beings of spirit bodies. Even if it struck the gate with massive mass, the form of the spirit existing in reality was merely an illusion. It meant that no matter how much you broke or shattered it, it would regenerate in an instant.
Therefore, unless you could strike the spirit’s soul directly, you couldn't neutralize them, and that required special magic or power.
‘…What should I do?’
However, Kim Ilshin hesitated. It was because of the realization he had gained during the process of stabilizing the Hyeonwol. If he let time slip away like this, it felt as though the hard-won realization would scatter into nothingness. He didn't know how much time it would take to digest the insights currently filling his mind. Fleeing now would be the same as giving up on that realization.
‘I have to use it now.’
Kim Ilshin reached into his pocket and pulled out an object. It was the Hourglass of Distortion, which he hadn't let out of his sight for a single moment since he acquired it. It was an artifact that, when used, allowed the user to enter their own internal mental world and spend a week there. During that week, no time would pass in the outside world, and the recovery and growth achieved within would not disappear after the effect ended.
It was an artifact that could even save one’s life depending on how it was used. He had been saving it to overcome a dangerous situation that might arise. But now, it seemed the time had come to use it.
“Hey…! I asked you what we’re going to do!”
Watching Hana Lin’s restless expression, he shattered the Hourglass of Distortion.
Hwa-a-ak!
Immediately, a burst of light swallowed their surroundings, drawing their consciousness deep into his inner world. Hana Lin couldn't withstand the intense light and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Hey, what is this…! ……Huh?”
Immediately after, Hana Lin opened her eyes to see Kim Ilshin standing exactly where he had been before the light vanished, and he said,
“I’m going to go fight.”
Wuuuung!
At the same time, a black energy, never seen before, was rippling from the Hyeonwol as it let out a deep, resonant chime.