Part 11
【Item: Arachne’s Lament】
Grade: Legendary
Category: Auxiliary Weapon
Designate any shadow or dark space within your field of vision to instantly move there.
Consumes mana in proportion to the distance traveled. No mana is consumed at night or while within darkness.
Yugeon approached and picked up the jewel that had fallen to the ground.
The red jewel was still warm.
The vengeful spirits of the devoured General Spiders and Arachne’s emotions swirled together inside it.
This Legendary item could only be created after the Queen devoured the General Spiders she had given birth to—
And then experienced fear.
That’s why it’s nearly impossible to obtain under normal circumstances.
First, one had to induce the Queen to devour the General Spiders.
Then, one had to make her feel fear.
Fulfilling both conditions was extremely difficult.
“It’s perfect for Hwang Mungi.”
Reading the description for the first time in ages, Yugeon grinned.
Arachne’s Lament.
He didn’t need it.
It wasn’t necessary for the future he was planning, nor would any of his companions require it.
“My fighting style isn’t suited to something like this in the first place.”
That was why he had given it to someone else in his previous life as well.
Even if he kept it, he would have no particular use for it.
Trading it for the item Hwang Mungi is retrieving would be much better.
That item was essential to his plans.
“Boss, the entire Boss Monster turned to powder. I thought we’d at least obtain some materials from her.”
“Whenever this item appears, she disintegrates like that.”
“I see.”
“Do you want to take a look?”
WHOOSH.
“Oh…”
Mincheol exclaimed in admiration as he touched a Legendary item for the first time.
Only a handful of Legendary items currently existed in the world.
“Are you really going to give this away?”
“We don’t need it.”
“But you could make an enormous amount of money by selling it.”
“Money…? I already have plenty of that.”
“Pardon?”
Mincheol tilted his head upon hearing that Yugeon had plenty of money.
“I’ll give you a Mythic item later. Don’t be too disappointed about losing a mere Legendary item.”
“Y-you’re going to give me a Mythic item?! Boss…”
Mincheol looked at Yugeon with emotion in his eyes.
He already felt guilty about constantly receiving things from him.
However, when he heard that the promised item was Mythic, he couldn’t help feeling greedy for it.
“Let’s search the castle before we leave.”
“Yes!”
Yugeon and Mincheol explored the castle and collected every useful item they could find.
They then turned away without regret and walked out.
At that moment—
RRRRUMBLE—
The enormous castle began collapsing all at once.
***
“Here. Take this.”
“?”
In front of Cha Mincheol’s home, Yugeon suddenly held something out just as Mincheol was about to enter.
【Item: Steel Skin】
Grade: Uncommon
Category: Skill Book
Envelops the entire body in mana, making the skin and muscles as hard as steel.
While active, defense and impact resistance against physical attacks—including slashing, piercing, and blunt strikes—are greatly increased.
“It’s a skill called Steel Skin.”
“Oh… Steel Skin.”
“It’s for you. Learn it.”
“You’re giving this to me…?”
Mincheol accepted the Skill Book with a bewildered expression.
Why did Yugeon keep giving him everything?
“It isn’t that valuable. It’s only useful during the early stages, so don’t feel burdened.”
They had found the Skill Book at the top of the Spider Castle.
It wasn’t an exceptional skill, but it hardened the user’s skin like steel and increased physical defense.
It was an essential skill for a tank.
Of course, an Awakened couldn’t simply learn any Skill Book they found.
Additional Abilities were heavily affected by the user’s constitution and class.
A warrior-type Awakened could learn a magical skill.
However, its efficiency would be abysmal.
It was far better to learn an Additional Ability compatible with one’s Unique Ability.
In that regard, Steel Skin was perfectly suited to Mincheol.
“Why don’t you use it instead, Boss…?”
“I don’t need it.”
Yugeon shook his head.
The skill held little value for him.
Even if it had been Mythic Grade, he wouldn’t have learned it.
“And make sure you read its description carefully before learning it.”
“The description?”
Mincheol slowly read the item’s description.
He examined it carefully, but nothing seemed unusual.
Yugeon always had a reason for saying such things, though.
“It only says it increases my overall defense…”
“That’s because it doesn’t increase all of your defenses.”
“Ah!”
Only then did Mincheol understand.
“It only provides resistance against physical attacks.”
“Exactly. You mustn’t blindly take magical attacks just because you trust this skill.”
“You’re right.”
“You’ll encounter many skills like this in the future. Always read their descriptions carefully.”
Yugeon advised Mincheol.
The moment someone became excited about acquiring something valuable, they could make a poor decision.
Of course, given Cha Mincheol’s traits, a single magical attack was unlikely to kill him.
Even so, it was far better to understand the skill properly from the beginning than to learn through being struck.
***
Zone 1, Floor 7, [Rusted Tracks].
CLATTER.
CREEEAK.
THUD.
After climbing a ladder, Yugeon lifted a rust-covered iron hatch and entered a hidden space.
DING—!
Hidden location discovered.
You have entered the [Train Engineers’ Rest Area].
Mana recovery speed will increase for five hours.
Monster intrusion will be prevented.
“It’s been a long time.”
The room was completely empty.
Despite being called the Train Engineers’ Rest Area, there was nothing inside it.
The space was about the size of a high school gymnasium.
It was vast enough to accommodate several hundred people with plenty of room remaining.
However, it was utterly useless in Zone 1.
The area supposedly prevented monsters from entering, but reaching it required cutting through dozens of Goblins.
In other words, no monsters remained anywhere nearby by the time someone arrived.
Furthermore, this was only Zone 1. There was no reason for hundreds of people to seek out a safe zone here.
“They should’ve placed a space like this higher up.”
Zone 8, which consisted of Floors 71 through 80, had the highest number of casualties.
If a safe zone like this existed there, many people could have survived.
“Of course. That bastard god would never create a safe zone like this up there.”
CLATTER.
THUD!
Cursing the god, Yugeon closed the entrance.
He had come here alone today because there was something he needed to obtain.
I told Mincheol to rest for the day.
Hadn’t Mincheol said he was going to a department store with his mother?
Yugeon, however, still had work to do.
SHING.
After walking to the center of the space, he drew the Godslaying Sword from his waist.
“They’re all still in my memories, so it doesn’t matter too much. Even so, I should learn them properly.”
He was referring to the martial arts he remembered.
He could reproduce those martial arts from memory.
However, their power was considerably lower than it had originally been.
That was partly because he lacked Inner Arts, but the more fundamental problem was that his body had never learned them.
“I’ll register every martial art in my memories again.”
Of course, anyone watching might have found the idea strange.
How could he register martial arts without Inner Arts?
Shouldn’t he relearn an Inner Arts Cultivation Method first?
However, doing so would take far too long.
There is a shortcut, of course.
SWOOSH.
Yugeon smiled and closed his eyes.
At that moment—
DING—!
【Seamless Realm】 has been activated.
HMMMM—
When Yugeon activated the Seamless Realm, the world stopped.
Even the dust floating through the air froze, and every faint noise vanished.
Then—
DING—!
【One Sword to Annihilate Heaven】 has been activated.
FWOOOOOOSH—!
As he activated One Sword to Annihilate Heaven, a sense of omnipotence filled Yugeon’s body.
The realm of the Martial God.
The moment he reached that realm, an indescribably immense power began circulating throughout his body.
SWISH.
I’ll execute every martial art while in this state.
Every martial art he remembered.
The martial arts that had protected him in the ruined world.
It was time to draw out everything that remained intact within his memories.
SWISH-SWISH-SWISH—!
Yugeon’s sword began moving in a dazzling display.
The first form of the Plum Blossom Sword Art.
Every form of the Plum Blossom Sword Art followed in a continuous flow like running water.
Once he completed all its forms, he transitioned smoothly into the Twenty-Four Forms Plum Blossom Sword Art.
It’s actually fortunate that I don’t possess Inner Arts.
As previously explained, Yugeon had only been able to learn martial arts with conflicting natures because of the System’s assistance.
However, none of those martial arts were currently registered within the System.
Executing martial arts with conflicting natures under such circumstances should inevitably have caused Qi Deviation or twisted his qi and blood.
But I currently don’t have a qi center.
This was only possible because One Sword to Annihilate Heaven had temporarily elevated him to the realm of the Martial God.
WHOOSH—!
CLANG!
After completing every form of the Twenty-Four Forms Plum Blossom Sword Art, Yugeon immediately began executing another sword art.
WHIRL.
It was the Supreme Ultimate Wisdom Sword.
***
DING—!
A skill has been registered through the user’s movements.
Plum Blossom Sword Art
Twenty-Four Forms Plum Blossom Sword Art
Violet Mist Divine Art
Hundred-Step Divine Fist
Lion’s Roar
Supreme Ultimate Wisdom Sword
Two Principles Sword Art
Annihilation Sword Art
Supreme Purity Sword Art
Demon-Subduing Sword Art
Sun-Shooting Sword Art
Emperor Sword Form
Heaven-Filling Flower Rain
….
SHAAAAA—
As frozen time began flowing again, countless skills started registering before Yugeon’s eyes.
As expected, it worked.
Yugeon smiled while looking at the seemingly endless list of martial arts.
The realm of the Martial God.
By executing every martial art while he had reached that realm—
They had all become fully embodied within him.
On top of that, I’ve recovered my own martial art.