Yuliena (3)
I could see the wreck Kim Hyunsung had become. He had already been healed once with holy magic, but even so, wounds still lingered here and there.
After fighting a battle that absurd, it was only natural for him to look like this.
Whether it was Yuliena’s tentacles or something else, little holes had been punched through his body all over, and more than half of his equipment had been blown away.
Even his arm, the one struck by the black cross falling from the sky, was still under treatment.
Judging by appearances alone, he looked almost pitiful.
By contrast, I was…
Clean.
Not a single wound. Not even a scratch.
Kim Hyunsung’s face as he stared at the sword drifting toward me looked like that of a man watching his lover walk away.
It was only natural to feel awkward.
“I’ve heard that legendary-grade items are said to choose their own masters. I don’t know the details, but I suppose this is probably that kind of situation.”
“Yes. I’ve heard that story as well, Jeongyeon.”
Don’t do this to me.
From my perspective, I was so flustered that even my common sense had run away for a smoke.
Kim Hyunsung didn’t seem much better.
Once I realized that his recklessness had all been for the sake of this legendary item, my chest ached for him.
This was a glorious wound acquired in pursuit of treasure.
It wasn’t my intention, but I had just wrecked the grand picture he’d been painting.
Damn it… It’s not even like I have any use for it…
“I-I honestly don’t know why it’s acting like this either.”
As I averted my eyes, the sword hanging in the air followed my gaze.
Vrrrmmm…
The constant hum was just a bonus.
“Could it refuse its master?”
“Normally, yes… but there hasn’t been much information released about legendary items yet. From the situation, though, it doesn’t look like it’s going to back down easily.”
“Then why don’t you try holding it, Hyunsung? I’m not a swordsman, and I don’t really need it anyway. It’d be better in your hands than mine.”
“Yes. I think that would be best, Hyunsung.”
“Ah… yes.”
It was only natural that everyone’s attention turned to him.
Kim Hyunsung’s face was tense as he slowly reached out.
He had probably seen plenty of information about legendary items before.
He must have known all about this curse-bearing sword too.
Maybe it had once been the sword he used in a previous turn, or maybe it had been a weapon he’d always wanted for himself.
Whatever the case, the tension on his face was obvious.
He had to have realized this wouldn’t be easy.
Even Kim Hyunsung himself wasn’t certain.
The moment his fingers brushed the hilt, dark energy began pouring out from around Yuliena, the curse-bearing sword.
The change happened so suddenly that the expedition members nearby were flung backward in an instant.
Crakakakakakak!
Seeing that, Kim Hyunsung let out a sigh and released the sword. That much was inevitable.
He sighed again, then turned his face away with a disappointed expression. It was a look I’d never seen on him before.
The sight made my heart ache for no reason.
Ah… shit…
“It seems I can’t. It looks like its master has already been chosen.”
“Ah… I’m not really….”
“It’s probably a sword with an extremely strong will. A little disappointing, but there’s nothing to be done. In fact, you were the one who led the assault on this dungeon, Kiyoung, so you certainly deserve to receive it. I also relied heavily on your help during the final battle. To be honest, if that brief opening hadn’t appeared, I can’t say what would have happened to me.”
“No. Even if I had something I couldn’t use….”
“If you don’t want it, that won’t matter. Especially not with this sword. I could tell the moment I held it. It’s already made up its mind. Even if someone else forced themselves to use it, it would be no different from a wooden practice sword. I think it should be used by the person who can actually bring out its functions, and that’s you.”
“What kind of alchemist uses a sword….”
Everyone wore open expressions of disappointment.
In truth, for me to use this sword was no different from putting a pearl necklace around a pig’s neck.
My strength was pathetic. My stamina was pathetic.
It was obvious I’d be gasping for breath after swinging it only a few times. I wanted to tell it to please, for the love of God, stop doing this to me, but Yuliena the curse-bearing sword completely ignored my opinion.
As if it could wait no longer, black energy poured from the blade and began binding me down.
“Ah… ah!”
My arm lifted against my will.
“Someone….”
I glanced toward the others, but everything was happening too fast.
Before anyone could move, my hand reached the hilt exactly, and a familiar message appeared.
You have been recognized as the master of the legendary item, the curse-bearing sword Yuliena. Congratulations on becoming the wielder of a legendary weapon.
Shit… recognized? Recognized my ass. I never recognized it.
Legendary Grade
This was the beloved sword of Yuliena, the saintess of curses. The sword Yuliena, forged by the God of Curses, Aes, for Yuliena tens of thousands of years ago, has never faded no matter how much time has passed. It inflicts an exceptional curse that instantly deals mental damage to any target it wounds. By using mana, you can draw on Aes’s power. Those exposed to its energy for long periods are also afflicted by the curse. By expending large amounts of mana, you can cast wide-area curses. Summoning and unsummoning are both possible.
Before losing her life, Yuliena desperately sealed her own soul within it.
Yuliena’s consciousness, devoted to Gedrick, lies dormant. The sword moves on its own to protect its master from threats. Its growth has been stunted, leaving several of its functions sealed. Mana increases by 15. -Gedrick… my beloved Gedrick
…
Fine. I acknowledge it.
For a moment, after vomiting curses inwardly, I looked at the sword again and realized this might actually be a stroke of luck.
The specs were so absurd I was stunned speechless.
It was a capability unlike anything I’d ever seen in an item before.
I already knew how tremendous a force curses could be here.
Just the fact that it had nearly swallowed up Parana, a fairly competent clan, was enough to justify its being called a legendary item.
Of course, my mana would never allow me to use it the way Yuliena had, but even so, its potential was more than sufficient.
And what about a sword that raised my mana by 15?
That didn’t change the fact that I was mana-deprived, of course, but still, it felt like I’d found a sliver of hope.
Another noteworthy point was that it would protect me on its own.
It seemed like a newly added function because Yuliena’s consciousness was sealed within it, but honestly, I thought this was the most necessary function of all.
The problem was…
Yuliena.
What was I supposed to do when that insane woman woke up again?
The thought of having to play the part of a man named Gedrick, whom I didn’t even know by face, made my head throb.
“The master recognition is complete.”
The expedition’s voice sounded a little hollow too.
“Th-this… I’m, really sorry. I didn’t expect it to turn out like this….”
“It’s fine. Considering everything Kiyoung has done, he more than deserves it. Admittedly, using a sword as an alchemist is a little odd, but… from now on, we can train together as well, yes?”
“Pardon?”
“Since things have come to this, I think it would be good for you to learn at least the basics of swordsmanship. I’ll make sure to teach you properly.”
There’s something prickly in the way he said that…
For some reason, I suddenly felt pretty uneasy.
Is he pouting?
It was hard to imagine Kim Hyunsung pouting.
And yet the corner of his mouth was clearly drooping.
The realization that Kim Hyunsung was, after all, a human just like the rest of us made me snort with laughter.
When I glanced around, the faces of my party members came into view.
Park Deokgu and Sun Heeyoung looked proud, while Jung Hayan’s expression was a little ambiguous.
Still, it didn’t feel bad.
The other party members seemed a little jealous, but since all of them had leaned on me at least once, the mood was more congratulatory than resentful.
The looks in their eyes clearly wanted an explanation about Yuliena, so I had no choice but to speak.
“Well… I’m not actually sure about the quality of the sword itself, but the internal functions are really quite good. It, uh, has a curse-inflicting ability, and apparently it even protects me.”
“Pardon?”
Kim Hyunsung looked a little surprised.
That was probably because such a function hadn’t existed in the first turn.
If there had been some lunatic in the first turn acting as if he were Gedrick, the situation might have been a little different, but I was certain there hadn’t been.
“Ah. It seems the others can’t read it. It says Yuliena’s consciousness is sealed inside. It looks like the sword moves on its own when a threat appears. It uses my mana, which is a little unsettling, but… I think it’s probably because it believes I’m Gedrick or something.”
“Ah, I see.”
I have to be Gedrick.
At the very least, I had to become Gedrick just so I wouldn’t get my throat pierced by my own sword.
If it ever found out I wasn’t Gedrick, things would get ugly fast.
For now, the good news was that Yuliena had fallen asleep because of the battle’s aftermath.
I had gained a great deal, but there was no doubt my head was starting to ache too.
What I found a little relieving was that Kim Hyunsung didn’t seem as disappointed as I’d expected.
He even gave a faint nod at the part where I said it would move on its own.
Did he decide it was useful?
That was probably it.
He’d likely thought using it himself would be best, but since things had already turned out this way, he must have accepted there was nothing to be done.
Aside from the corner of his mouth drooping, he looked fine.
Come to think of it, the great curse-bearing sword Yuliena was probably just one of many legendary items Kim Hyunsung already knew about.
I couldn’t really judge, but Kim Hyunsung’s temperament and this sword didn’t seem all that compatible.
If I had to assign it a different owner…
Jung Jinho?
It probably suited the lunatic murderer I’d met in the Tutorial Dungeon a little better.
“For now, congratulations, Kiyoung.”
“Ah… yes… thank you.”
“Things got a little tangled, but if Hyunsung is satisfied with the outcome….”
“Yes. I’m satisfied, Lee Sanghee-nim. It’s unfortunate, but I suppose this is unavoidable.”
“It isn’t as though we need to recognize it any longer, but it is a legendary item, after all. I will acknowledge the ownership of the curse-bearing sword. Then, since our business here seems to be wrapping up, I will make sure we can head straight to Lindel after we finish the task I mentioned. Let’s go home.”
“Yes.”
We had gained a great many things from the dungeon conquest.
Of course, Parana had suffered a steep loss in combat strength due to the failed expedition.
It might sound cruel, but long term, it wasn’t a bad outcome at all.
Lee Sanghee’s standing had shrunk, while Kim Hyunsung’s and mine had risen significantly within the guild.
I didn’t know what choice Lee Sanghee would make going forward, but seeing how burdened she felt by the vice guild master position, I suspected she might even step down on her own.
The fact that I could reshape Parana to fit Kim Hyunsung and my own tastes.
That alone was enough to call this expedition worthwhile.
Hayan’s condition has improved a lot too…
It felt as though everyone had climbed one more stair because of this expedition.
Of course, there were still problems left to solve.
The work I had left in Park Deokgu and Lee Jihye’s hands.
There was definitely still a feeling that the cleanup hadn’t been fully completed.
Still, perhaps because of the weapon now in my hands, the corners of my mouth rose before I even noticed.
I decided there was no problem in taking it out, so I murmured quietly, sending a trace of mana toward it.
Unsummon.
The curse-bearing sword refuses unsummoning.
“…….”
Unsummon.
The curse-bearing sword refuses unsummoning.
Go back.
The curse-bearing sword strongly refuses unsummoning.
Shit! Go back!
The curse-bearing sword strongly refuses unsummoning. The curse-bearing sword wants to stay with you. The curse-bearing sword says it loves you. The curse-bearing sword says to stay together. The curse-bearing sword is angry.
“I said go back! Please!”
It had definitely been a satisfying expedition.