“Since the planning is finished. Shall we try making a dagger?”
[Akashic Pocket - Browse Mode]
[Opening Category - Materials (A).]
[Equipment - Dark Elf]
[Equipment - Dwarf]
[Equipment - High Elf]
[Equipment - Republic of Korea Army]
[Equipment - Other]
‘The category is strange? Why is there equipment inside materials?’
“Can I add a separate category item?”
[It is possible.]
“Then add a separate equipment category. It’s inconvenient to look at.”
[Adding category item.]
Now it was finally a little easier to look at.
‘I’ll have to look through all of this when I have time. The organization is so haphazard.’
“First, show me all Dark Elf equipment.”
[Browsing Equipment - Dark Elf.]
[The amount of accumulated information is insufficient.]
[The reliability of the contents cannot be guaranteed.]
“I’ll take it as reference.”
They scrolled into existence.
[1. Blackwood Bow]
[2. Blackwood Venom]
[3. Ink-Black Dagger]
[4. Specter-Exorcising Longsword]
[5. Ceremonial Longsword]
[………]
The list stretched on endlessly.
Sinhyeok yawned and touched them one by one.
“There are a lot of bows too.”
‘Most of them are designed to accommodate poison.’
Wondering if this was the direction of the Dark Elves’ specialty, he immediately asked Ichan.
“Ichan, do you use poison too?”
Ichan, who had been sitting beside him, answered without even opening his eyes.
“I do. But I can’t synthesize poison inside my body yet.”
“Really?”
“Normally, when you reach the appropriate age, your mother makes you eat suitable poisonous substances. But I missed that age.”
“Ah, really? Shall I do it for you?”
At Sinhyeok’s offer, Ichan slowly opened his eyes and looked at him.
It was an expression filled with considerable interest.
Baek Arin, who had been on the other side of Ichan, also stealthily offered to cooperate.
“I’ll help too~ I can heal you with what little holy power I have.”
“You wicked people. Your hearts are clearly full of desire to bully me, what cooperation! I absolutely refuse!”
The two smiled ominously and reached their hands toward Ichan.
“I said no! I don’t even need to use poison!”
“*Ahem*, let’s do it later. Later.”
“I said I don’t need it.”
“Yes~”
Sinhyeok’s hand, which had been scrolling for a long while, stopped at one spot.
“Hmm.”
[78. Yamyohonsik]
“View this.”
[Viewing Yamyohonsik.]
[A sacred-object-like piece of equipment passed down among the Mukwol Clan that serves the World Tree of Night. A strange tree dagger said to grow in the dark night and feed on souls by gnawing them. A famed sword that evolves the more souls it devours, passed down through the chieftains of the Mukwol Clan.]
“Oh, it has a lot of good options. Just! This is it. If I try making it exactly like this.”
[Viewing production method.]
[1. Ask Father and request a branch.]
[2. Earnestly wish and plant it in the ground.]
[3. Wait.]
[4. Someday it grows into a dagger.]
[5. Harvest when the dagger has grown.]
“Ha…?”
Sinhyeok was so dumbfounded that a laugh escaped him.
At the absurd explanation, he asked Ichan if it was real.
“Ichan…”
“Stop calling me. I’m busy exorcising specters. I feel like I’ll grow more soon.”
“That’s not important right now. Do you know Yamyohonsik?”
“I know. You can’t make that anymore. You can only receive it if Father gives it to you.”
‘Ah. Now I know why the explanation is so absurd.’
“So it’s just equipment that the World Tree blatantly makes for you?”
“That’s right. To receive it, you have to wait until you’ve grown all~ the way to there at least.”
The height Ichan pointed at was staggeringly far.
“Ha. That won’t do. I’ll just make one.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s just a tree that’s a dagger, right? Then that’s fine. What’s so hard about that?”
Sinhyeok quickly pictured the materials in his head.
‘Mix Lich remnants, World Tree, and Soul Crystals too. Mix them appropriately and go with Bio-Synthesis.’
“It’s wood that’s hard like a dagger, right?”
Ichan choked up, feeling indignant at his clan’s treasure being so greatly devalued.
“Absolutely not!”
“I told you it is. I’ll show you.”
“It’s not like that! It’s a divine object bestowed by Father!”
“It’s just a tree, a tree! I’ll show you!”
“No, don’t show me! I’m not taking the equipment, I don’t need it!”
“No, you have to take it!”
Sinhyeok was thrilled at the thought of creating something bizarre and astonishing.
“If this goes well, I might be able to make a tree that produces equipment?”
“Ah, that’s kind of lame. Hyung, I told you not to.”
Watching from the side, Ichan was anxious that the pride of the Mukwol Clan was being trampled.
“Hey, trust this hyung. I’ll really make it mind~blowingly.”
“…….”
Ichan’s gaze grew quite cold.
He followed behind Sinhyeok with an expressionless look.
“Wait!”
Sinhyeok sat down in an empty lot outside the quiet castle walls with an excited face.
“I should make a separate workshop. I keep ending up here.”
He plopped down on the ground and revisited the Yamyohonsik entry.
“A tree dagger that grows in the night and feeds on souls by gnawing them.”
This was the core of the data.
“‘Night’ seems to refer to an attribute, so the rest is simple.”
‘But that doesn’t mean planting a tree in the shape of a real dagger would solve it.’
“It has to be hard enough to use as a weapon. I need wood that’s as hard as iron.”
He rummaged through his inventory and spread out all the materials.
“What’s this?”
Sinhyeok’s inventory had all sorts of miscellaneous things.
But nothing particularly caught his eye.
‘Materials are causing trouble again. I’ll need more samples.’
Things like the resurrection herbs or mandrakes stored underground in this land were useless.
“Obsir.”
‘Yes.’
Obsir, who had been waddling around nearby, appeared immediately.
“Go out and look for organisms fused with minerals.”
‘Yes……’
Suddenly, Obsir’s answer slowed and its body wobbled.
“Hey…!”
Thud. Fshhhwing.
Obsir fell just like that.
‘No... battery... left. Recharging... required.’
“Haa.”
Sinhyeok spread both arms wide, gathered mana, and temporarily fed some in.
“Wait, I’ll go get some magic stones.”
‘Th-thank...’
Thud.
But the amount was insufficient.
Sinhyeok got up and headed for the magic stone mine.
‘I need to upgrade that kid too. Install a proper core so it doesn’t need recharging, and add a few functions.’
For that, a core was needed.
“Haa… Everything’s a mess here and there.”
Sinhyeok hurried to the mine and returned with a magic stone the size of a human head.
The moment he handed it to Obsir, it sprang right up.
‘Recharge complete!’
“Hurry back.”
‘Yes! Deploying!’
It flew quickly, cutting through the air.
Sinhyeok began other work while looking forward to Obsir’s big catch.
“Then shall we widen the moat?”
He removed the thin strip of land at the castle entrance.
Then, a tunnel leading to a deep abyss was revealed.
“Terrifying.”
At a glance, it felt like it led to a bottomless pit.
“Let’s widen it more. About one more meter?”
It was currently a circular tunnel with a diameter of roughly one meter.
“For a safe life.”
He closed both eyes and focused.
[Partial Transmutation - Fusion]
“Go.”
Swoosh.
He scooped up one shovel’s worth.
A mass of dirt clumped together and was lifted up.
[Material Transmutation - Condensed Dirt Clod]
“I’ll drop these from the walls later.”
Sinhyeok checked the dirt clods of absurd size and weight stacking up neatly beside him and continued digging down.
‘Already bored.’
Sinhyeok repeated infinitely with a blank face.
* * *
“You must be having a hard time.”
The old knight was watching Sinhyeok toiling alone at the castle entrance.
“We must do something too!”
He clenched his fist and went to the residents staying inside the castle.
“I say!”
The castle residents had been making bows and arrows.
“Sir Knight, what’s wrong?”
“It’s not right for us to sit still either.”
“Ah…”
A strange silence fell over everyone.
“This is our land. It is Fergana that we have protected! We must help together.”
“Ah, we know, but what can we do?”
The old knight Greywain smiled and looked at his status window.
[Status Window]
Name: Aldor Greywain (Lv. 1)
Class: Knight
Strength: 15 + 56
Agility: 8 + 45
Stamina: 13 + 34
Mana: 17 + 77
Trait: Veteran Elder
[Acquired Skills]
=====================
[Main]
Charge (Lv. 1)
Slash (Lv. 1)
Aura (Lv. 1)
Wind Aura Circle (Lv. 1) - Permanently Active
=====================
“Didn’t everyone receive one too?”
“Ah.”
At those words, everyone called up their status windows and checked.
“We have plenty of time. Until then, let us raise our levels too.”
Everyone looked at each other and exchanged gazes filled with the same will.
Regardless of age or gender, they stood up.
“Yes! We have to fight too! When have we ever stood by and done nothing?!”
“That’s right! This is the city we’ve protected all this time!”
Greywain smiled with satisfaction and immediately moved.
He went to find the person who knew the system best.
Baek Arin looked puzzled at the residents and old knight flooding in.
‘What’s going on? Should I call the mister?’
She wondered if they had complaints.
While she was busily worrying about what to do, the old knight asked her with a grave expression.
“Young lady. Let me ask one thing.”
At his grave gaze, Baek Arin slowly stood up and checked the sword at her waist.
“Yes, please speak.”
Tension flowed in her tone.
“How do you raise this level?”
“………What?”
“I mean level, level. Since we’ve awakened too, don’t we get stronger if we raise that level thing?”
“Ah. That’s right.”
She relaxed and took her hand off the sword.
“But usually, you have to go to a place called a Gate and break cores.”
“Core? Do you mean something called a source or root?”
“That’s right.”
“Ah……”
At Arin’s words, deep sighs flowed from all around.
When everyone lamented simultaneously, Baek Arin hurriedly explained another method of leveling up.
“But! There are other methods! Training, repeating skills, or sparring! If you hunt monsters, you do level up!”
‘Although the amount of experience differs.’
“Oh! Did everyone hear that!”
The old knight rejoiced and encouraged the residents.
“It is time to grow stronger!”
“Oooooh!”
Everyone cheered.
Ichan, who had been concentrating at the loud cheering, slowly opened his eyes and looked.
“Hmm?”
The old knight paid no heed and divided the large number of people.
“I shall divide you into exactly three groups, so listen well.”
He pointed to the leftmost crowd.
“You shall train. Repeatedly practice skills and master them.”
“Yes!”
A thunderous shout rang out.
He then pointed to the middle crowd.
“Here will hunt with me.”
And on the right were the seasoned soldiers, the youngest, who had always held bows and wielded swords atop the walls.
“This side will spar.”
“Yes!”
The old knight turned back to look at Baek Arin and requested.
“We wish to hunt those monsters at the boundary. Might we ask you to make us a path out?”
“Ah, yes yes. Just a moment.”
Baek Arin hurriedly turned back and asked Hong Ichan.
“Leaf picking?”
“Not that, use this! Hyung enchanted these! You can walk in the air. Tell them to carry plenty of magic stones in advance.”
Baek Arin received the pouches Hong Ichan handed her and distributed them to everyone.
“Ooh! When did the captain make something like this!?”
The old knight clutched the pouch tightly, his eyes blazing.
“I shall definitely grow stronger. I shall not let go of your dreams, nor our hope.”
At the rather burdensome gaze, Baek Arin took a step back.
“Yes? Yes yes.”
They split into three groups and moved out.
Baek Arin shouted toward those heading outside among the three groups.
“Be careful! If you get hurt, call me right away!”
“Hahaha! We absolutely won’t get hurt!”
The old knight moved toward the outskirts with a vigorous expression.
On his way out, he discovered Sinhyeok taking his hand off the ground and stretching.
Sinhyeok thought curiously as he watched them leaving.
“Where are they going?”
‘Found it. I found a lifeform matching the conditions.’
Right on time, Obsir sent a telepathic message.
“Shall we go out together?”