Taming the Divine Sword

Inside the Heavenly Box, the gathered materials were gradually coalescing into something new.

"..."

Jeon Jaewoo stood in silence, his eyes fixed on the chest as the remaining time steadily ticked down.

Twenty-four hours had finally elapsed, bringing the synthesis to an end.

What did I get this time?

Would another sentient being with its own consciousness like Myeolgeop emerge? With his heart pounding in anticipation, Jaewoo swung the lid open.

The result of the draw was, once again, nothing more than a piece of gear—a shield.

"Damn it."

Jaewoo set the shield down with an empty sigh. Looking over his shoulder, he glanced at the corner of the room, which was practically a dumping ground for all sorts of gear: swords, bows, spears, and sets of armor.

Jaewoo had not been letting his Transcendent trait, Heaven's Box, sit idle. Whenever he obtained decent materials, he tossed them straight into the chest, holding out hope that something magnificent would emerge. Only by gathering overwhelming firepower could he challenge Mythic-grade ruins even a day sooner.

Yet producing self-aware, autonomous entities that pledged absolute loyalty—like Myeolgeop, Elder Lich, and Novum—was proving absurdly difficult. In retrospect, it was nothing short of a miracle that tossing ordinary potting soil into the box had produced a Transcendent-grade combat golem like Myeolgeop.

If only I'd saved that kind of luck for now. Maybe I would've gotten something even more monstrous than Myeolgeop.

Perhaps there had been some sort of hidden first-use bonus on the trait. Whatever the case, most of the results synthesized by the Heavenly Box turned out to be ordinary equipment. Some of the pieces boasted exceptional performance, of course—gear that would easily fetch astronomical prices on the hunter market as top-grade armaments.

The problem was that Jaewoo didn't need money; he needed powerful summons. Furthermore, since he lacked proper combat training in any weapon, none of these items were of immediate practical use to him.

I suppose I'll just have to pawn these off to the Hunter Bureau too.

He could easily claim he obtained them as spoils from raiding ruins. Commissioner Yoo Jeongtae would probably jump for joy the moment he laid eyes on them. As Jaewoo began gathering the clutter to pack it away, an unexpected thought struck him.

Wait a minute.

A sudden flash of inspiration sparked in his mind.

What would happen if I tossed all of these weapons and armor in at the same time?

These were already powerful pieces of equipment on their own. If he blended them all together into a single synthesis, wouldn't the resulting creation blow ordinary armaments out of the water? Driven by curiosity, Jaewoo decided to give it a shot, dumping every single piece of gear he had crafted into the chest.

Exactly twenty-four hours later, the Heavenly Box clicked open.

What it spat out was, once again, a weapon.

"Oh, come on!"

A blade wasn't quite the summoned entity he had hoped for. Still, even to Jaewoo's untrained eyes, the sword looked like an extraordinary masterpiece.

"Oho. What a curious fellow we have here," the Elder Lich remarked, his jaw clattering as he leaned closer.

"The weapon possesses remarkable specifications, Creator," Myeolgeop reported in his calm, synthesized cadence.

"I... I can feel a frightening aura rolling off that blade, Master..." Novum added softly, shrinking slightly behind Jaewoo.

For all three of them to offer their commentary meant this was no ordinary blade. While Jaewoo couldn't yet gauge its precise performance, Commissioner Yoo Jeongtae wouldn't just be thrilled—his jaw would hit the floor. Or perhaps he could show it to Hunter Kim Yumin next door, since she fought on the front lines as an S-rank swordsman.

Just as he was pondering how much he could reasonably charge for such a weapon, the blade began to pulse.

Flicker, flicker.

A sharp, ethereal voice rang directly inside his mind.

—A mere insect of a human dare speak such impudence?

"???"

Jaewoo flinched in shock. The blade had begun flashing like a faulty fluorescent bulb, casting bursts of radiant light as the voice echoed in his skull.

What was that? Am I hallucinating?

That made no sense. Having consumed supreme elixirs, his body was in peak physical and spiritual condition. There was no conceivable reason for him to suffer from auditory delusions.

—To think that the one who forged this noble seat would harbor thoughts of pawning ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me off to some petty government bureau! What a lamentable disgrace!

Jaewoo glanced around the empty room before looking toward Myeolgeop with a bewildered expression.

"...Myeolgeop. Don't tell me I'm actually hearing this sword talk right now?"

"Your perception is correct, Creator. The sword is addressing you directly."

Upon closer inspection, Jaewoo realized that, unlike ordinary equipment, this blade possessed an interface window identical to those of his summoned companions.

Oh. So I actually got what I wanted after all.

Instead of taking a humanoid form like his previous summons, this one had manifested as an Ego Sword. An Ego Weapon—a unique armament possessing its own consciousness, distinct from ordinary inanimate tools. Furthermore, given that it was bound to Jeon Jaewoo, it stood on equal footing with his other creations.

In reality, the existence of an Ego Weapon was regarded as little more than an urban legend among awakened hunters. No one had ever produced tangible proof of one. At most, people spoke of weapons whose blades shivered slightly in resonance with a hunter's mana. An armament capable of holding a fluent telepathic conversation was utterly unheard of. How it was even projecting a voice without a mouth remained a complete mystery.

However, the traits displayed on its status window were vastly different from those of his other summons. Manifested Sword Gang, Telekinetic Sword Flight, Unity of Sword and Body—all of them sounded like world-shattering abilities, yet every single one was sealed.

"Why is everything locked away like this?" Jaewoo muttered.

"Creator, please review the status window's description carefully," Myeolgeop replied.

Come to think of it, the description explicitly stated that the weapon developed in tandem with its master's realm of mastery.

"So you're saying I can't use this blade properly because my own level is too pathetic?"

"Precisely."

The blade pulsed with light, its sarcastic voice ringing out once more.

—To think that a noble entity such as I should be bound to a life-form of such laughable stature. The heavens are truly blind!

"..."

Putting aside its combat capabilities, this was undoubtedly the most foul-mouthed, insolent creature to ever pop out of the box. Myeolgeop and Novum never failed to address him with utmost deference, and even the Elder Lich treated his Maker with earnest respect despite his archaic cadence.

A sword that defends its master, my foot. It looks like it'd stab me in the back the second I turn around.

Yet despite the sword's blistering arrogance, Myeolgeop seemed rather pleased by its arrival.

"It is most fortuitous that an exceptional blade has manifested, Creator."

"Is it really that incredible?"

"Without question. Now that you have acquired a proper armament, it would be prudent for us to begin your combat training in earnest."

"I've never swung a sword once in my entire life, you know."

"I shall instruct you thoroughly in every nuance of swordsmanship. You need not harbor any concern."

When it came to combat, Myeolgeop's technical prowess was unrivaled. If a master of that caliber took charge of his training, there was no reason Jaewoo couldn't learn. Thus, in an unexpected turn of events, Jaewoo's primary weapon was officially decided.

"Fine. Let's see how this goes."

The prospect of stepping onto the battlefield with a sword of his own stirred an unfamiliar excitement in his chest. Until now, all the fighting had been handled exclusively by the summons that sprang from his box. It felt as though he were finally taking his first true step as a hunter. Besides, what man hadn't dreamed during his youth of charging across a battlefield wielding a legendary divine blade?

"I'm counting on you from now on," Jaewoo said with genuine goodwill, reaching out to grasp the hilt.

—Unhand me, you filthy wretch! How dare a maggot like you presume to lay its grimy hands upon my sacred body?!

"..."

The blade bucked furiously, thrashing with all its might to break free of his grip.

The Elder Lich stroked his skeletal chin, his jaw clicking thoughtfully. "Hmm. This is quite a thorny predicament. For an ego blade to reject its Maker... Though, strong-willed armaments have long been notorious for their stubborn dispositions."

"Before proceeding with martial instruction," Myeolgeop stated flatly, "it appears we must first break the weapon to its master's will."

Jaewoo stared down at the squirming, vibrating sword before asking, "By the way, why is the name slot on its status window empty?"

"Since it is a blade that grows alongside its wielder, it is only fitting that the Creator bestow its name personally."

Ah. That makes sense.

The right to name the blade belonged exclusively to its owner.

—Ahem! the Ego Sword scoffed. Out of special benevolence, this seat shall grant you permission to choose a name worthy of my supreme dignity. Should the appellation satisfy my refined tastes, I may deign to temper my attitude toward you.

Even in this state, the arrogant piece of metal demanded a grandiose name to stroke its vanity.

"Hmm..."

Jaewoo stared down at the pulsing blade in contemplative silence before casually remarking, "Fluorescent Lamp. Yeah. It keeps flashing like a faulty bulb, so Fluorescent Lamp sounds about right."

—...???

The Ego Sword froze in absolute disbelief.

Seeing the horrifying letters actually inscribing themselves onto its status window, the blade shrieked in mortal terror.

—W-What in the world are you doing?! Stop this instant!

"What? You don't like it? How about Blinker, then?"

The letters for 'Fluorescent Lamp' vanished from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the interface, replaced immediately by 'Blinker'.

The sword shuddered violently from tip to pommel, overwhelmed by unimaginable humiliation.

—How dare you! How dare you treat me with such indignity! I am ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a divine weapon without equal across the entire planetary system!!

Judging by how much harder it trembled than before, it was thoroughly enraged. But what was it going to do about it?

"...Did you just say 'how dare you' to me?"

Even after realizing that its master held absolute authority over its identity, it still had the audacity to throw a tantrum. Gentle persuasion clearly wouldn't cut it; this blade required immediate, aggressive shock therapy.

The moment the word 'Poop' materialized in the name slot of the status window, the sword's tone shifted dramatically.

—H-Hold on, master! Please, let us not act like uncouth ruffians! A truly distinguished master must respect the intrinsic value of his sacred implement, must he not?

Heh. The power of a single foul word is truly remarkable.

Watching the arrogant blade backpedal and grovel for the first time was deeply satisfying.

"Doesn't respect go both ways? If you want a proper name, apologize right now for looking down on me earlier."

—...!!

Yet even backed into a corner, the Ego ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sword hesitated, paralyzed by its stubborn pride.

Oh? Still trying to play hardball, are we?

Subjugating this hunk of metal, forged entirely out of narcissism and disrespect, turned out to be remarkably simple. The instant the letters for 'Diarrhea' followed 'Poop' on the status window, the Ego Sword surrendered unconditionally.

The blade bowed its head in desperate telepathic pleas, offering a profuse, formal apology for its past transgressions and swearing absolute obedience moving forward.

Watching from behind, the Elder Lich regarded his Maker with open admiration.

"Our Maker is truly formidable," the skeleton murmured, clicking his jaw in approval. "To bring an infamously intractable ego blade to its knees in a single breath..."

"If anyone were forced to live the rest of their existence saddled with the name 'Poop' or 'Diarrhea', they would have done the exact same thing," Myeolgeop noted with cold analytical detachment.

"Indeed," the Lich agreed with a solemn nod. "The mere thought of having such a moniker bestowed upon oneself is utterly harrowing."

A name carried supreme significance no matter where one went. Even in modern society, countless people suffered from absurd names given by their parents, flooding civil offices with legal petitions to change them. In the end, the battle of wills concluded with a decisive, crushing victory for Jeon Jaewoo.

Of course, since there was no telling when the blade might relapse into insolence, Jaewoo left the name field blank for the time being.

A few days later, the monthly roster of newly discovered ruins was officially announced to the public. To everyone's astonishment, an Ancient-grade ruin had appeared for the second month in a row—and its conqueror's bounty included none other than a Ruin Extra Clear Ticket.