Artifacts: What Exactly Are They?
Artifacts. What exactly were they?
Ever since it became clear that conventional thermal weapons like guns or cannons couldn't deal significant damage to monsters, artifacts had become the collective term for the only weapons and armor humans could rely on against them.
There were various ways to obtain them. They could be crafted using mana cores, or acquired as rewards for defeating dungeon masters. Naturally, their performance varied widely, starting from equipment-grade and up. They were classified from the lowest E-grade all the way to the pinnacle S-grade based on their capabilities.
Low-grade artifacts didn't differ much from ordinary weapons, aside from being able to inflict some damage on monsters. But from B-grade onward, things changed. They fundamentally enhanced the user's strength, and could even repair themselves if the damage wasn't too severe.
A tiny fraction of artifacts possessed an additional power: Unique Abilities, just like those of awakeners.
Like the Holy Sword.
High-ranking demons possessed a Unique Ability called Resurrection of the Dead. The Holy Sword wielded by Reinhardt had a Unique Ability that neutralized it. Artifacts infused with such powers were typically awarded S-grade status and treated with utmost reverence. Their value was no exaggeration.
So that's the S-grade artifact.
The replica of Gramnir he'd seen in the vault earlier. It had clearly stated that the artifact Gramnir was rated S-grade.
Sujin didn't even have an S-grade artifact.
In truth, his only connection to top-tier hunters was through Sujin, and even she didn't possess an S-grade artifact.
No wonder they're called Gu-guk Guild.
For a mere guild member—not even the master—to wield an S-grade artifact was astonishing. And yet, it also sparked curiosity. What Unique Ability did Gramnir possess?
First things first.
Kim Ji-seon, the section chief, charged at him like a shot from a bow. The taut muscles hidden beneath her suit pants revealed considerable power. He casually clenched his fist and swung it full force toward her. It was a plain punch relying solely on raw strength.
Clang!
Their fist and sword collided, producing a sharp metallic ring as sparks flew in all directions. After the first clash, Kim Ji-seon swiftly stepped back a pace.
"...It's real."
"Right?"
His hand was unscathed despite clashing bare against a sword—an S-grade artifact, no less. By this world's common sense, that was utterly bizarre. Just before impact, Kim Ji-seon's sword had hesitated for a split second. She'd surely wondered if it was okay to really strike down with her blade against a bare fist.
This was, after all, just sparring. A light bout to gauge his level. Not a fight to the death.
Still, if it's too easy, it'll get boring.
"Now that you've confirmed it, feel free to go all out."
"Hee-hee, got it."
Boom.
Kim Ji-seon's sword trembled with a low, heavy hum, glowing green. The light was dimmer than Yelena's sword aura, but sword energy wasn't judged solely by brightness. The faint yet dense afterimage of mana lingered. Mana from Kim Ji-seon's body flowed steadily and powerfully into Gramnir. It was no ordinary S-grade artifact for nothing.
"Then, let's begin again."
Whoosh!
Kim Ji-seon moved even faster than before. This time, she didn't charge straight at him. Instead, she bounced around, circling him at blinding speed. So swift that her afterimages lingered in the air, forming a dome around him.
"Oh."
Fierce winds whipped his hair about. Incredible speed. It didn't seem possible from her physical strength alone. Probably a Unique Ability that boosted her velocity.
Screeech!
As he admired the rare sight, Gramnir sliced precisely toward his back. Not fully serious yet, it aimed for his shoulder blade from behind.
Can't be helped.
It was sparring; no point asking her to fight with killing intent. He twisted his body to create space. Gramnir whistled through the air above his shoulder.
Crack!
He still hadn't seen Gramnir's Unique Ability. To test it, he gripped both flat sides of the blade firmly.
Breaking it might be overkill.
Smashing it would lead to compensation claims and headaches. Just damaging it lightly would suffice.
Crunch!
As he tensed his hands—
BOOM!
"Gah!"
The blade exploded outright. Amid the deafening blast, the shattered fragments swirled in blue flames, engulfing him. He rolled away to escape the explosion, but the hand gripping the blade took the hit. Minor cuts oozed blood from his palm.
"Ow..."
A quick shake and the wounds healed instantly. But what was that just now? Had it shattered from a bit of pressure?
No way an S-grade breaks that easily...
Clink!
Fortunately, his guess was wrong. The fragments of shattered Gramnir gathered, reforming its original shape. Evidently, the explosion was Gramnir's Unique Ability.
"Um... are you okay?"
"...Yeah."
Kim Ji-seon frowned slightly but nodded. She then sheathed Gramnir behind her back.
"Did you see what Unique Ability I just used?"
"Hmm... The zipping around seemed like your Unique Ability, and the sword exploding was the artifact's. Right?"
"Spot on. Then, I concede."
"Huh?"
Already? Things were just getting fun.
"That combo you just saw is one of my specialties. I use Instant Speed to encircle the enemy, thrust in a surprise strike, then detonate Gramnir. Of course, since it's sparring, I had no intention of actually exploding it."
"Hm. Not bad."
"And yet, look at you now, Mr. Park Soo-hyeok."
"Ahem."
Even the palm that took the full blast of Gramnir's explosion had already healed.
Is this okay?
He couldn't be properly measured due to his mana levels, but he was officially an A+ awakener. Kim Ji-seon, on the other hand, was a Gu-guk Guild hunter wielding an S-grade artifact—undoubtedly rated S or higher herself. Her pride must have taken a hit.
"Impressive. The president will want to scout you personally."
Contrary to his expectations, Kim Ji-seon didn't scowl; she even smiled faintly.
"Ahem, really?"
"Yes. To be frank, your mana is at zero, so I wondered if physical prowess alone could cover it."
"I get it."
Objectively, she had a point. It didn't bother him.
"Then, Mr. Park Soo-hyeok, how about assigning you to the Masinjeon Dungeon raid team?"
"Sure, why not. Better than sitting around just using my head."
"Ha-ha. Beating me that easily and cracking jokes? That's harsh."
"Ahem. Is it?"
Kim Ji-seon then led him straight to the conference room.
"Strategy team. Sorry to say this, but we need to rework the plan from scratch."
"Y-yes? What do you mean...?"
Her bolt-from-the-blue declaration paled the strategy team's faces.
"This gentleman beside me is Park Soo-hyeok, slated to join the Masinjeon raid."
"Ah... Hello."
"Yep. Nice to meet you."
Light greetings were exchanged with the strategy team. Glancing at the whiteboard, he saw nameplates listed, one with his name.
⊳ Park Soo-hyeok (A+) (TBD)
⊳ Kim Ji-seon (S)
⊳ Jang In-cheol (S)
⊳ Oh Joo-hee (S)
⊳ ... (Total: 12 members + Leader)
⊳ Lee Shin-yul
The notations beside them appeared to be hunter ranks. It was packed with S-grade hunters that even mid-tier guild masters would envy. A+ wasn't low, but sandwiched among S-grades, it looked a bit weak. At the end of the twelve nameplates excluding his, one stood alone without a rank: just the name.
Lee Shin-yul. Not even assigning a hunter rank?
How strong was this guy, exactly? Curiosity gnawed at him.
"From my spar with Mr. Park Soo-hyeok just now, we need to readjust his hunter rank."
"Really? But his mana is practically zero..."
"If that were all, I'd have won."
"...Pardon?"
Silence blanketed the conference room at Kim Ji-seon's words.
"I-is that true?"
All eyes from the Gu-guk Guild members turned to him at one team member's question.
"Ahaha... It just happened."
"Whoa..."
"I gave it my all, and the only damage was a scrape. And even that's healed now."
Kim Ji-seon grabbed his wrist to inspect the injury. It had healed instantly earlier, but he stayed quiet to avoid seeming too cocky.
"So, what rank would you place him? Our dispatched Mr. Park Soo-hyeok's level?"
"Probably... stronger than every S-grade hunter here."
"Gasp!"
"Ahem."
Being hyped so openly left him flustered. He'd only just learned this himself—apparently, he was weak to praise.
"Crazy... We'll have to scrap the strategy entirely."
"Difficulty just dropped big time!"
"No wonder the president wanted to scout him!"
"Which guild dispatched you? Never heard the name before."
"Save questions for later. Let's rework the strategy first."
The once-silent room buzzed again. A few questions came his way too, but Kim Ji-seon fielded them, letting him dodge.
"For phase one, how about this...?"
Now properly assigned to the raid team, they even solicited his input. The strategy team proposed ideas; the raid team assessed practicality.
As he scanned the room in bewilderment, a man spoke up.
"Nice to meet you. Jang In-cheol."
The man beside him offered a warm smile and handshake. First impression: not a man, but a giant. At least 2.3 meters of solid muscle exuded overwhelming presence.
"Ah! That Jang In-cheol...! It's you."
After Lee Shin-yul, this was the face he'd seen most while researching Gu-guk Guild. The vice master. The man who'd spent the longest alongside Lee Shin-yul.
"No need to tense up. Think of today as just getting a feel for the vibe."
"Ahaha, thanks."
"Beating Ji-seon so easily? No tension needed there."
"Ahem. Got lucky."
He brushed off the embarrassment modestly, and Jang In-cheol smiled knowingly before refocusing on the meeting.
But one thing lingered in his mind. Honestly, he'd half-expected the question: Who would win between me and Lee Shin-yul?
He realized why it hadn't come up during the strategy discussion. In their imaginations, Lee Shin-yul losing simply didn't exist. He was an absolute pillar of faith. A testament to the trust his teammates placed in him.
Impressive, yet it stirred a subtle sense of dissonance.