Thursday evening, after all classes had ended.
It was the day we had promised to all eat out together while stopping by Hunter Bank to take care of Kang Hanbyeol’s business.
After returning to the dormitory and washing up briefly, I changed into casual clothes and headed down to the first-floor lobby at the appointed time.
The meeting place was the window seat overlooking the garden, which had somehow become our fixed spot.
There was one person already there, waiting.
“Oh, Gyeonwoo-Gyeonwoo! Gyeonwoo-Gyeonwoo is second! I’m first!”
“You came out early. How long have you been here?”
“Hmm… by my biological clock, since 1 hour, 6 minutes, and 38 seconds ago?”
“Why would you come out an hour early? You could’ve just rested in your room…”
“I was going to at first, but staying in my room was way too boring!”
“And waiting outside wasn’t boring?”
“When I thought about how I wanted to hurry up and go have fun, time flew by! And now that Gyeonwoo-Gyeonwoo is here, time will go even faster!”
Nam Yuri of the Yeonseong Nam Family sat on a chair with no backrest, swinging her legs as if splashing water.
At the sight of her giggling, I gave a wry smile.
At the same time, my eyes went to the dress she was wearing.
It was a plain white one-piece dress with no decorations or patterns to be seen.
“Isn’t that the outfit you wore during the entrance exam?”
“Huh? This? Is it? I’m not sure. I have several outfits exactly like this one. All my casual clothes are like this. Why do you ask?”
“…So you don’t have any other casual clothes?”
“Yeah, I said I don’t.”
“Why… don’t you?”
“That’s something I’ve never thought about before… In the end, isn’t the function of clothing to protect the body and provide warmth? In that sense, the clothes I wear perform that function well enough, and above all, they’re convenient to put on and take off, and to fight in. The clothes I received from my family since I was born were all like this, too. To me, this is so natural that I’ve never thought about why I don’t have other casual clothes!”
“…”
In the illustrations that appeared in the game, Nam Yuri had been treated especially unfairly compared to the other characters.
Because her outfit design, regardless of time, place, or situation, had been unified as a white one-piece dress.
‘At most, the only change they made was staining it with monster or human blood.’
Back when I played the game in my past life, I had guessed that the developers stuck to a white one-piece dress, where any stain would stand out vividly, in order to express her madness.
But I had never imagined that the types of casual clothes she owned would truly amount to only one.
‘No wonder she always wore that whenever we met in casual clothes…’
It was a relief that I found out now, at least.
Letting out a sigh inwardly, I spoke to Nam Yuri.
“Next time, let’s go buy you some clothes with the others. You can’t only focus on function. Let’s ask Haneul and the girls to pick out some clothes for you.”
“Huh? You want to go look at clothes? I’ve never bought clothes before. That sounds fun! Okay, sure! I’ll look forward to it, so don’t forget later, okay!?”
“I won’t forget. Don’t worry.”
Yeon Haneul had such a good eye for aesthetics that she was excellent at coordinating outfits.
The clothes I was wearing today, and all my other clothes, were ones she had picked out for me.
So if I entrusted Nam Yuri to her, something would work out.
After making a future promise with Nam Yuri, I waited for the others.
“Do Gyeonwoo! Did you eat your chicken breast!?”
“Ah, Gyeonwoo. Looks like you came out early. If you were going to wait, you should’ve contacted me…”
“Guys! What should we eat once we go out!? Anyone craving anything!?”
“Looks like Yuri came out early too. Good evening, everyone.”
“Yum…”
As time passed, Yong Haerang appeared.
Soon after, Yeon Haneul, Go Eunbi, Lisa, and Cha Eunsol all showed up in a rush.
From the looks of it, the girls had gathered beforehand and come down to the meeting place together.
‘With Yuri… I guess they’re not that close yet.’
Well, considering Nam Yuri’s personality was impossible to predict and difficult to control, it was understandable.
Cha Eunsol was a similar type, but she was relatively not that hard to handle, so the others must have accepted her.
‘Still, with Eunbi and Lisa around, they’ll probably get closer over time.’
It was something time would naturally solve.
If they spent time together and shared their daily lives, they would blend in well someday.
I decided not to worry too much.
Still, I should ask.
I spoke to Yeon Haneul, who had somehow come to stand beside me.
“Please get along with Yuri too.”
“…I know that already, okay?”
Until just a moment ago, Yeon Haneul had been chattering to me with a smile.
But as if that had never happened, she shot me a sideways glare and replied.
Her rabbit ears were flapping as if she were sulking.
“You see me and immediately bring up Yuri’s name. Do you like Yuri that much?”
“What are you talking about? I like you the most, Haneul.”
“Hmph. You always only say that…”
“Ah, and next time, let’s make time and all go look at clothes together.”
“Clothes? Why clothes all of a sudden?”
“Yuri says those are the only casual clothes she has. Apparently she has several sets of that. So since you have a good eye, I thought it’d be better if we went clothes shopping together next time.”
“I don’t mind, but… there isn’t… any other intention, right?”
“Other intention? What intention?”
“Mm, never mind. Looks like there isn’t.”
Yeon Haneul stared intently at my face, then nodded as if convinced.
Since I had no idea why, I could only feel puzzled.
But she did not answer.
“But she really only has her school uniform and that outfit?”
“She said she’s never bought clothes in her life.”
“How can that be, when she’s from a prestigious family…”
“…I don’t know the circumstances of the Yeonseong Nam Family, but I guess cases like that exist.”
“It feels like you just lied…”
“And Eunsol probably hasn’t bought clothes herself either.”
“Huh? Eunsol?”
“Does she look like she’d be interested in clothes?”
“Hmm…”
“Obviously, she must’ve worn whatever her family bought for her.”
“No way, surely…”
Cha Eunsol, with her max-level laziness, was not the kind of person who would pick out clothes on her own.
Yeon Haneul could not readily deny what I had said with such certainty.
She, too, now knew Cha Eunsol’s personality to some extent.
“By the way, I don’t see Arin. She can’t come after all?”
“Arin asked me to tell you she can’t go because she’s preparing for midterms.”
“Midterms are still a long way off. Isn’t she starting too early?”
“Honestly, it’s not that long, Gyeonwoo… There’s a little less than a month left now.”
It had been that way ever since the club trial event ended.
Min Arin had been minimizing meetings with us on the grounds that she had to study.
Recently, in her attitude, I could subtly sense that she was trying to put distance between us.
‘Still, she does try to eat lunch with us, so it’s not like she’s completely avoiding us…’
It was clear that Min Arin had something troubling her.
But there was no way we could easily get an answer from someone as proud as her.
In the end, we had no choice but to quietly watch how things developed.
‘It’d be nice if she just told us… Min Arin’s personality, seriously…’
If there seemed to be no sign of the situation improving, I intended to press Min Arin then.
In any case, since she had stated she would not attend, everyone who was going to gather had gathered.
At that, we left Jade Dormitory and met up with Kang Hanbyeol and Bak Sagun, who were waiting at Peridot Dormitory.
Then we headed for Hunter Bank.
* * *
Hunter Bank managed and invested hunters’ assets, provided loans, and handled other financial functions.
According to the Hunter Association’s guidelines, hunters had to conduct all financial business through Hunter Bank.
As a result, in Academy City, which was hunter-friendly, one could easily find a Hunter Bank wherever one went.
“…You’re saying you visited the main branch in order to access the Fighting Ghost’s vault? And you are the Fighting Ghost’s disciple, sir?”
“Yes, my name is Kang Hanbyeol.”
“…Please wait a moment while I check with the Association. Yes, the name matches… Could you show me your identification as well? Also, in order to access another person’s vault, you need the vault owner’s consent. I would appreciate it if you submitted documents proving that as well.”
Roman Road, District 23 of Academy City.
We visited the Hunter Bank branch where the vault of the Fighting Ghost, Seo Jeongjin, was kept and told the teller our business.
After confirming Kang Hanbyeol’s identity, the teller became extremely polite and made a call to someone.
Then he spoke to us.
“The Fighting Ghost’s vault is managed by the branch manager for security reasons. I will escort you to the branch manager’s office.”
“…”
Considering the Fighting Ghost’s status, it was not a matter for a teller to handle.
Having anticipated the situation to some degree, I received the guidance without fluster.
Yong Haerang, Nam Yuri, Cha Eunsol, and Lisa, who had likely lived lives of innate privilege, showed similar reactions.
“As expected of my master!”
On the other hand, Kang Hanbyeol, who respected Seo Jeongjin, looked pleased and proud.
“The branch manager’s office… I’ve never been inside one before.”
“Me neither… I’ve only seen them in dramas. This is my first time actually going in.”
“This is a well-known branch in Academy City, so if he’s the branch manager here…”
Go Eunbi, Yeon Haneul, and Bak Sagun, who were unused to this sort of treatment, were surprised.
On the way to the branch manager’s office, I glanced sideways at Yeon Haneul, who was marveling at the paintings and pottery on display, and chuckled.
A little while later, we entered the branch manager’s office.
“Pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard plenty about all of you. It truly feels good to meet such promising young sprouts like this.”
The branch manager, who led us to our seats, gave off a benevolent air.
He introduced himself as someone who had known Seo Jeongjin since they were young, and his calm yet witty way of speaking quickly eased our wariness and drew out a sense of trust.
He was a kind and gentlemanly old man.
“There’s no need to look any further into whether Student Kang Hanbyeol is Jeongjin’s disciple. There are no issues with the documents you submitted either. Jeongjin contacted me not long ago to say that Student Hanbyeol would be coming by soon.”
“Ah, Master contacted you?”
“He told me to take good care of you in his place while Student Hanbyeol was here. That man Jeongjin hates being indebted to me more than death itself, so it seems Student Hanbyeol is very precious to him.”
“Master…”
“And he also made this request.”
However, one must not let one’s guard down.
The other party was someone who had survived all sorts of hardships in a world where money changed hands, and climbed to this position.
Contrary to how he appeared on the outside, one had to be careful of the old foxes writhing within.
The branch manager was merely acting out the image we wanted in order to win our favor, while hiding his emotions.
Knowing the branch manager’s true nature through the game, I was not fooled.
Sure enough, the branch manager narrowed his already thinly opened eyes like a fox and added,
“‘The ownership of all the weapons inside still belongs entirely to me. So if you want to have any of the weapons there issued to you, or make them completely yours, pay an appropriate price. If you thought you could just gobble up the weapons I collected over decades, wake up from that dream.’ That is what he said.”
“…”
“Jeongjin still hasn’t changed when it comes to things like this. And then he asked me to test Student Kang Hanbyeol’s qualities in his stead.”
“What does that…”
“The armaments inside will be issued in the form of rentals in exchange for payment. We intend to accept payment in Geumgang Coins, cash, mana stones, and so on. In the case of certain armaments, they can only be issued after confirming Student Kang Hanbyeol’s skill or after you resolve a request befitting them.”
“…”
“For me, who hasn’t been able to take much in fees from Jeongjin ever since losing a bet to him in our youth, this is a fortunate opportunity.”
I need to make money too, don’t I?
The branch manager laughed perfunctorily and brought his teacup to his lips.
‘I knew this would happen…’
Since I had not expected anything from the start, I was not disappointed.
Unlike the others, who had gone blank at the branch manager’s changed atmosphere, I calmly ate the refreshments.
Expensive refreshments had to be eaten when there was a chance.
After all, refreshments eaten without spending one’s own money were the most delicious.
“Yum, yum…”
It seemed Cha Eunsol and I were of the same mind.
She, too, was tasting the preserved fruit while remaining detached from the situation.
With her other hand, she was even putting some separately into her pocket.
I did the same.
‘I’ll eat them with Haneul later.’
I stealthily pilfered the cookies on the plate as well.
When our eyes met, we shared a feeling akin to comradeship.
Then, as if they had all agreed to it, they emptied their plates in an instant and spoke in unison.
“More, please.”
“Ha ha… Very well, yes….”
Whether the branch manager was dumbfounded or not.
We had no shame.
* * *
After hearing an interesting anecdote related to the Fighting Ghost Seo Jeongjin from the branch manager,
Kang Hanbyeol now rose from his seat to stop by his vault.
At that, the branch manager, who had volunteered to guide Kang Hanbyeol, asked for our understanding.
“I’m sorry to say this, everyone, but for security reasons, no one other than authorized personnel may enter the vault.”
Given the nature of Hunter Bank, security and trust were practically their lifeblood, so it was an unavoidable procedure.
Those of us who did not have the right to enter the vault had known this from the start.
However, I was an exception.
“According to the instructions, one companion is permitted, so student Do Gyeonwoo may also enter the vault.”
In the game, it had only been briefly mentioned and had not been implemented as a system, but
Kang Hanbyeol was not the only person Seo Jeongjin had authorized to enter the vault.
The granddaughter cherished by his friend, and at the same time, Kang Hanbyeol’s childhood friend’s older sister.
She, too, could enter the vault.
‘Seo Jeongjin thought of her like a granddaughter, and he’d also noticed Hanbyeol’s feelings, so he was planning to pass the vault on to the two of them as a sort of wedding gift.’
However, one never knew how human affairs might turn out, and there was a chance it could place a burden on Kang Hanbyeol and her.
So Seo Jeongjin avoided specifying her directly and changed it to “companion.”
‘That’s why it wasn’t implemented as a system in the game, but I end up using it like this.’
Presumably, Seo Jeongjin must have expected that even with just that, Kang Hanbyeol would naturally come to the vault on a date with his childhood friend.
But Kang Hanbyeol, who had not realized his arrangement, chose me as his companion.
—Gyeonwoo! I’m going to Master’s vault to see if there are any usable weapons. If you have time, do you want to come with me? I think you’d have a better eye for swords than I would!
As someone who had been planning to persuade Kang Hanbyeol to visit the vault anyway, this was perfect for me.
With no reason to refuse, I had immediately accepted then, and it had led to the situation I wanted.
“Please follow me.”
Everyone except Kang Hanbyeol and me decided to wait in the branch manager’s office.
We stepped into the elevator installed in the branch manager’s office.
From what I heard, this elevator was apparently the only way to reach the vault managed by this branch.
‘Feels like we’re going down pretty far.’
There were only five buttons for selecting floors, and yet
it felt like it took quite some time to descend a single floor.
It seemed each floor must have been built that high.
Around then, the elevator stopped.
The iron doors opened, and the sight of the lowest floor entered my eyes.
‘…It’s grand.’
On both sides of the corridor beyond the elevator, massive iron doors stretched out at regular intervals, too many to count.
The structure looked as complex as a maze, and it seemed like one wrong turn would leave you lost.
That was how vast the space was.
“Whoa….”
“Hanbyeol, don’t get too distracted.”
“Ah, right! I know!”
Kang Hanbyeol was impressed enough to let out an exclamation.
Worried for no reason that he might get lost, I followed behind the branch manager, who strode forward without hesitation.
How much time had passed since then?
“Here it is.”
“…”
The branch manager stopped in front of one vault.
After recognizing his own fingerprint, he released several layers of locks.
Before long, the iron door opened inward with a creak.
“I will wait outside. The two of you may take your time looking around.”
“…”
“The arms stored in the vault have information about each weapon and the conditions for borrowing them written down. If you have any difficulty examining them….”
Standing before Seo Jeongjin’s vault, his explanation did not enter our ears.
We simply stared blankly at the arms displayed inside, feeling the mana flowing out from the vault.
‘In the game, it appeared as a catalog, but seeing it like this, it’s really incredible….’
As if proving that the weapons appearing in the game had only been a portion of the whole,
countless arms filled my vision from the threshold onward.
“Just how much did he steal…?”
“Wow… Master is seriously amazing!”
The Fighting Ghost—no, the Plunder King Seo Jeongjin.
We stepped into the armory he had built over the course of his entire life.
‘I have to find a sword here that suits Hanbyeol.’
There was a sword I had in mind.
A demonic sword.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss
(133) [Illustration]
Not to mention weapons commonly found on the market,
there were swords, bows, spears, firearms, monk’s staffs, and more….
Seo Jeongjin’s vault held all manner of arms, regardless of quality, fame, or type.
Because of that, it felt as if we had come to a museum.
‘I’m glad I didn’t let Hanbyeol come alone. How was he supposed to find anything by himself here…?’
Kang Hanbyeol did have the eye to choose a weapon.
But it would have been difficult for him to grasp every single weapon stored in the vault.
On the other hand, as a veteran of the game, I knew which weapons would help with future story developments.
If I had not accompanied him, Kang Hanbyeol would have faced all sorts of difficulties in choosing a weapon.
Since time and money were not infinite, it would have been a clear loss for both him and me.
‘Besides, who knows what tech tree he’d go down….’
I pulled up Kang Hanbyeol’s status window as he examined the weapons with sparkling eyes.
Among them, I focused on his Gift information.
[Possessed Gift]
Resonance Hands
The Fighting Ghost Seo Jeongjin possessed the ability to handle every weapon, but he never stood at the pinnacle with any of them.
God, or the world, may have given him versatile talent, but in exchange, it did not give him the foremost talent in any one field.
What caught his eye was none other than Kang Hanbyeol’s talent.
The Gift, Resonance Hands.
‘It’s exactly the kind of Gift only a protagonist would have…. In the game, I just accepted it as it was, but after reincarnating into this world and living here, I realize just how overpowered a Gift it is.’
Even if he had absolutely no related experience,
Kang Hanbyeol could handle any tool used with the hands at a level close to mastery.
Even if he had never learned the sword, once he held one, he could show enough skill to contend with most swordsmen.
It was a talent that seemed to mock the effort others had honed and the long years they had accumulated.
It was also the reason why, unlike other characters in the game, Kang Hanbyeol could equip any weapon and learn skills of any category.
‘Thanks to that, from the player’s perspective, it was fun to raise Kang Hanbyeol in all sorts of ways.’
That was how limitless Kang Hanbyeol’s growth tech tree was.
And I remembered every single one of those growth paths.
I knew which path was effective and efficient when it came to story progression and growth direction.
Among them, the growth path I would recommend was having him use a sword as his main weapon while learning auxiliary skills so he could respond flexibly in battle.
‘I can’t let Hanbyeol become interested in weapons other than swords. I have to settle him into the swordsmanship category like this.’
The fortuitous encounters such as items and skills that could be obtained in the game were specialized into ten main categories.
So I needed to narrow the range to the main categories and consider the compatibility between Kang Hanbyeol and various elements.
For the mage category, Min Arin and Yeon Haneul were enough.
The black mage category was not cost-efficient.
The white mage category did not directly help in combat.
The archery category lacked firepower, so it was highly dependent on the party.
The guardian category was stable, but it, too, was highly dependent on the party, so it lacked finishing power.
The spear arts category was….
Eliminating them like that left the swordsmanship category.
The swordsmanship category was well-balanced and had excellent synergy with other categories.
‘Most importantly, it’s the same category as mine.’
I could create points of contact because it was the same swordsmanship category as mine, and it was also convenient to pay attention to him from close by.
That was why I took Kang Hanbyeol and found the area where swords were stored.
“Whoa! Gyeonwoo, that sword over there constantly has electromagnetic waves flowing through it! It says it can even repel mosquitoes?”
“You probably wouldn’t use it in battle, but it is practical.”
On one side, metal drums packed full of swords were lined up.
Judging by the way they were stored and their condition, they did not seem to be valuable swords.
Even so, Kang Hanbyeol looked around at the swords here and there with fascination.
His face was full of expectation, as if wondering whether a treasure might be hidden among them.
Then he pulled out a certain sword.
“Gyeonwoo! There’s something like this here too! It says it’s a demonic sword!”
“…A demonic sword?”
A demonic sword said to bestow immense power upon its owner while also bringing misfortune.
As I happened to be searching for the demonic sword that should be somewhere in this place, I looked at the sword Kang Hanbyeol was holding.
When he drew the sword from its scabbard, a blade with a crimson edge revealed itself.
[Demonic Sword – Blood Tears]
◆ Equipment Classification
—One-Handed Sword
◆ Detailed Description
—A sword steeped in the tears of blood of a woman whose husband was taken by a trusted friend.
—The user will suffer from severe distrust and feelings of betrayal.
—The Fighting Ghost Seo Jeongjin plundered it from a villain whose lover had left him for someone else.
◆ Detailed Effects
—Strength +1, Luck -1
—Attack power increases by 5%.
—You take damage equal to 1% of the damage you inflict on the opponent.
—Skill 「Stalking」
“Looking at the tag, it says this is a sword with deep resentment in it. If you aren’t acknowledged as its master, your mind might get corrupted.”
“That kind of sword is dangerous, so don’t touch it recklessly. You could get into trouble just by handling it. And if it was in there, even if it’s a demonic sword, its performance probably isn’t that great.”
I had expected as much, but the demonic sword I was looking for would not be mixed into a drum indistinguishably among other swords.
After checking the demonic sword’s information through the message, I advised Kang Hanbyeol so that he would not take any further interest in it.
But he showed even deeper interest than I had thought.
At last….
“Shall I check whether it recognizes me as its master?”
“You, what are you doing right now…!”
Before I could stop him,
as lightly as if tossing a coin,
Kang Hanbyeol suddenly threw the keen-edged sword into the air.
The sword left his hand, rose upward, then began falling while spinning round and round.
Whoosh!
Kang Hanbyeol closed his eyes and stretched out his left arm toward the point where the demonic sword would fall.
Even though his left arm could be cut off if something went wrong, his face remained perfectly calm.
At last.
Tak! Ziiing….
The demonic sword narrowly missed his left arm and fell to the floor, trembling.
It looked exactly as if it were sobbing, admitting that it had lost.
Or perhaps it looked as if it were acting charmingly, asking him to take it along.
“Looks like I won. I guess it recognizes me as its master.”
“Don’t make my heart drop…. What would you have done if your arm had been cut off?”
“Sorry. You were startled because of me, weren’t you?”
“Don’t do something dangerous like that next time.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
Kang Hanbyeol shrugged as if boasting.
I scolded him for casually offering up his arm and trying to receive the sword’s acknowledgment.
At that, perhaps knowing he had done wrong, he gave an awkward apology.
“But I didn’t do it completely recklessly. I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but… the moment I held it, I knew this sword had recognized me as its master.”
“I’m sure you did.”
“You believe me?”
“There’s no way a sword that was just sitting inside a drum wouldn’t recognize you.”
“…For some reason, it feels nice, like I’ve been acknowledged by you.”
“I only said the obvious.”
Knowing Kang Hanbyeol’s Gift, I did not think much of it.
Just as he said, the moment he held the sword, he must have understood it through his Gift.
That was why he had shown such a dangerous act without hesitation.
Also….
“You might get angry if you hear this, but… honestly, I was confident I wouldn’t get hurt. I haven’t told the others yet, but my left arm is….”
Kang Hanbyeol’s left arm would not be cut off by a mere sword like that.
To begin with, it would not have mattered even if it had been cut off.
It was a Machine Arts, something that could simply be repaired and reattached if broken.
Knowing that he had lost his family and his left arm in an accident when he was young, I abruptly cut him off.
“I know.”
“…”
“I noticed when we sparred before.”
“You… knew. I really can’t fool your eyes, Gyeonwoo.”
“I’ve always been pretty sharp, you know. Haneul tells me not to talk nonsense, though.”
Kang Hanbyeol’s past wasn’t something I had to hear about right now. I could listen to it later, when the others were around too.
Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, I kept my attitude easygoing.
Then I changed the subject.
“Enough of that. Let’s hurry up and find you a better sword. The others are probably getting hungry waiting for us.”
“Yeah! Thanks, Gyeonu.”
* * *
We walked through the section where swords classified as famous blades were on display.
In the middle of it, I stopped in front of an empty glass case.
Whether Seo Jeongjin had prepared it so he could steal it someday, inside the case lay the tag for a certain sword and a business card.
A snort escaped me.
[Beast King Sword]
True to his epithet, the Plunder King.
I could glimpse Seo Jeongjin’s ambition to plunder even the symbol of the Divine Sword Do Family.
In fact, they said he had once tried to steal the Beast King Sword several decades ago.
The business card—no, the notice—was proof.
According to what I had heard from the Divine Sword Do Family.
Not long after Grandfather had risen to the position of family head.
One day, Seo Jeongjin sent Grandfather a notice.
‘And Grandfather said it was an outright challenge to the family, that this time he’d show the Fighting Ghost what for, and fought him….’
They said the duel between the two of them was still undecided even after an entire night had passed.
In the end, the two stopped the duel and spent the morning drinking themselves silly instead….
It was an anecdote about how Grandfather had entertained him with hearty laughter, and Seo Jeongjin had rested comfortably at the main house before leaving.
‘A coy little embarrassment…. Eunbi would call it tsundere, right? Grandfather’s a tsundere too.’
It was a glimpse of how Grandfather, while outwardly claiming to dislike the Fighting Ghost, regarded him as a close friend.
I chuckled as I looked at the business card, the crystallization of the two men’s memories.
Kang Hanbyeol seemed to know the story too.
“Ah, this must be that. Master said he was definitely going to get the Divine Sword Do Family’s Beast King Sword, and while he was at it, he went to have a family-head brawl.”
“A family-head brawl? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I heard the head of the Divine Sword Do Family had just been newly appointed around this time. Is that right?”
“Yeah, that’s what I heard too.”
“So Master said he barged into the Divine Sword Do Family as a celebration of the appointment, to see just how good your grandfather was.”
“Wow, seriously….”
I was so dumbfounded I clicked my tongue.
For people who were old enough to know better, they really did play in such childish ways.
On the other hand, I supposed both Grandfather and Seo Jeongjin knew how to enjoy themselves.
Kang Hanbyeol and I shared a lively laugh over the two of them.
Not long after that, I found the demonic sword I had been looking for.
“Hanbyeol, what about this sword?”
“Huh? A demonic sword?”
A sword with no back edge, sharpened on both sides.
On its pure white blade, faint rippling patterns that glowed red were engraved.
[Demonic Sword – Lucid]
◆ Equipment Classification
―One-handed sword
◆ Detailed Description
―The greatest masterpiece and final work created by a certain master craftsman with all his soul.
―It stabbed its creator to death and absorbed his blood.
―As it passed through the hands of evildoers, their minds contaminated it.
―After absorbing the blood of a Dreamlike Deer, an uncanny aura settled within it.
―The Fighting Ghost Seo Jeongjin plundered it from the Fiend Shigui (食鬼).
―It tests its master.
◆ Detailed Effects
―Strength +3, Endurance +2, Agility +1
―Mana resistance increases by 5%
―Mana operation ability increases by 5%
―Power of all attack skills using the sword as a medium increases by 5%
―Can counter certain magic attacks.
―Skill 「Mana Drain」
―(Unlock condition: Magic Power 70 or higher)
The sword’s history was unsettling, but in terms of performance, it did not fall behind the Ultramarine Sword.
Compared to the Ultramarine Sword, which was specialized for the swordsmanship of the Divine Sword Do Family, it had a broader range of utility.
‘Especially its ability to cut magic and its skill that absorbs mana from an opponent’s magic. Those are useful.’
Among the swords Kang Hanbyeol could currently withdraw, there was none with performance on this level.
No, there was one sword with similar performance.
It happened to be on display right nearby.
[Holy Sword – Bless]
◆ Equipment Classification
―One-handed sword
◆ Detailed Description
―A sword imbued with a divine aura, carrying the wishes of angels from the Red Gate “Paradise Lost IV.”
―It stands at the opposite extreme of demonkind.
―The Fighting Ghost Seo Jeongjin plundered it from the archangel of “Paradise Lost IV.”
―It tests its master.
◆ Detailed Effects
―Endurance +3, Agility +2, Strength +1
―Affinity with light-attribute spirits increases by 5%
―Defense against magic attacks increases by 5%
―Mana resistance increases by 5%
―Can counter certain magic attacks.
―Skill 「Energy Drain」
―(Unlock condition: Magic Power 70 or higher)
A holy sword containing sacred power.
At the tip of the blade, which emitted pure white light, unreadable golden letters were engraved.
‘Bless isn’t bad either, but….’
The Demonic Sword Lucid and the Holy Sword Bless.
As the messages showed, the two swords had roughly similar performance, but their dispositions were different.
I wasn’t talking about identities like evil or good.
I meant that one’s combat style would change depending on which sword one used.
In the case of the Demonic Sword Lucid, it excelled at leading aggressive combat.
On the other hand, the Holy Sword Bless was more suited to defensive combat.
‘Defensive combat lacks decisive power, so it can drag battles out or make you approach them passively.’
It would be a problem if Kang Hanbyeol, who was central to the story, lacked decisive power.
Drawing aggro, protecting party members, supporting them, and healing them were roles that could be left to other people.
Besides, it would also place a burden on me, since I would be fighting alongside him on the front line.
That was why I wanted Kang Hanbyeol to choose Lucid as his main weapon.
‘Well, if Hanbyeol says he likes Bless better than Lucid, there’s nothing I can do.’
Unfortunately, in that case, I would have no choice but to draw up a new blueprint.
I waited for Kang Hanbyeol’s choice as he held Lucid and Bless and seemed to fall into conflict.
At last, he set down one of the swords and showed me the one left in his hand.
“If I had a bit more room with my coins, I wouldn’t have agonized over it like this…. It’s a shame, but for now, I’ll go with the sword you recommended, Gyeonu!”
“Yeah, good choice.”
The Demonic Sword Lucid.
Seeing the sword in Kang Hanbyeol’s hand, I lifted the corners of my mouth.
* * *
As for coins, even after choosing the Demonic Sword Lucid, he still had some left.
Kang Hanbyeol and I decided to look around the vault to see if there were any other weapons worth withdrawing.
At that moment, as we were passing through the blunt weapons section, something caught my eye.
‘That’s….’
It was a sledgehammer with a white base, its contours formed in gold and black.
On both faces of the head, stars crafted from melted gold were set as decoration.
‘Come to think of it, this was in Seo Jeongjin’s secret vault too.’
When raising Kang Hanbyeol in a style where he used a sledgehammer as his main weapon, this was one of the weapons often preferred.
As long as you paid the price, you could take it out of the vault and use it right away in the early stages, and its performance wasn’t bad either, so it was popular.
‘It seems like it would suit Haneul well….’
Having found the sledgehammer by chance, I stood there staring at it for a long while.
That was when Kang Hanbyeol approached me.
“You seem to like that. Do you need it?”
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss