Episode 39.
With the second harbinger and the manifestation of the Sacred Treasure, the sword slumbering in Tintagel Castle had awakened.
I had rushed to Cornwall to claim it.
But what do you know?
A barrier had activated around Tintagel Castle.
The barrier activating meant someone had already entered and activated the protection system.
‘Black Moon.’
It was obvious who it was.
Black Moon, the organization with its influence spread across the entire world.
They had used precognition to foresee the harbinger and moved one step ahead.
I had rushed as fast as I could, yet they had already started one step ahead.
"Let's hurry."
I led Jeong Do-hwan, who stood beside me.
The place we moved to was not the entrance where tourists gathered, but the beach below it.
Splash!
Waves rushing forward crashed against the rocks, creating white foam.
This was the place.
Here existed the only path capable of breaching the Stage 1 defense system.
‘Convenient.’
Tintagel Castle and Excalibur.
It was one of the greatest events of the harbinger, but to me from before the regression, it was something from a distant land that I had never experienced.
And for good reason—back then, I was merely a worthless Awakened called an Enhancer.
A miserable wretch scraping by day-to-day, mixed in with a crowd of survivors.
There was no way someone living a bottom-feeder life like me could approach such a major event.
An event I had neither experienced directly nor even heard rumors of.
But now, my head was filled with detailed information as if I had experienced it firsthand.
This was possible thanks to the help of a close friend.
Sage Maximilian.
One of the Final Seven.
One who had endlessly evolved the ordinary trait called Wisdom and finally reached the great ability known as Sage.
He had used an ability called 'Information Transfer' for me, who was regressing, injecting all information about the harbingers and the Apocalypse into my mind.
Therefore, even though it was an event I hadn't experienced, I knew methods to resolve it.
That method was—
Splash!
—to enter the sea right away.
Though I said nothing special, Jeong Do-hwan also jumped into the sea following my movement.
Although advanced in age, he possessed stamina rivaling any young man thanks to his Awakening, and he was swimming smoothly.
I held my breath and moved forward.
While going down for quite some time.
‘There it is!’
Below the island, an artificially created undersea cave was situated.
Normally, when the Stage 1 protection system activates, no one except those who entered the castle can approach, but this place is different.
‘Merlin's Cave.’
The place where Merlin stayed for the birth of King Arthur.
It was the only route to which the protection system did not apply.
I swam and entered there.
Zing!
With a sense of foreignness washing over my body once, I was able to escape the water.
"Hoo?"
Jeong Do-hwan let out a slight exclamation.
"Amazing, isn't it?"
It couldn't be anything but amazing.
Clearly, until moments ago we were underwater, yet crossing some line had turned it into land where we could breathe.
I exhaled the breath I had been holding and looked at the cave entrance.
I unconsciously reached out my hand.
Splash.
Surprisingly, moisture could be felt on my hand that had crossed the line like a barrier.
Some special force had divided the boundary between the cave and the underwater area.
Of course, I knew all too well who had manifested that special force.
Merlin.
The great sorcerer from the legend of King Arthur.
In fact, he was the one who created the great figure known as Arthur.
‘That crazy bastard.’
He was also a maddening lunatic who made one's teeth grind.
Others think of Merlin and recall a great and mysterious sorcerer, but to me who had experienced the Apocalypse, that wasn't the case.
Just thinking of that crazy bastard who became a massive obstacle to humanity still made my teeth grind even now.
Well, that's a matter for later.
For now, I should focus on what needs to be done.
"…."
I surveyed the surroundings.
A cave beneath the island.
At a glance, one would think there was nothing there, just a secret entrance leading into Tintagel Castle, but—
‘There had been truckloads of people who beat the ground in regret.’
As the Apocalypse progressed, various hints about where the Sacred Treasure was hidden were obtained, and one of them pointed here.
And the one who won that war was Choi Jin-seong.
He had obtained one of the most powerful Sacred Treasures, which was like giving wings to a tiger.
But now, such a future would never unfold.
『The Starting Point』
『The Magician's Hideout』
『11』
『2』
Clues to the Sacred Treasure obtained during the progression of the Apocalypse.
Recalling those, I stood at the cave entrance I had entered moments ago.
Pressed flat against the wall.
Thud.
I walked.
Exactly 11 steps.
While facing forward, 2 steps back.
And I reached out my hand.
Shhk!
Surprisingly, my hand went through the wall.
‘It's here!’
Something heavy was grasped in my hand.
I withdrew my outstretched hand, and what entered my eyes was an old scabbard.
『Ancient King's Scabbard
Type: Auxiliary Tool
Grade: Lowest-grade Sacred Treasure
Durability: 3/5
Unique Effect: ???
Description: Faintly engraved with the word 'Victory' in an ancient language』
"Finally!"
I couldn't help but let out a cry of joy.
"Is that… something worth being so happy about?"
Perhaps curious at my reaction, as I rarely showed emotion, the old man asked.
"It may look worthless now, but…."
Hwoong!
I swung the scabbard once.
"…its amazing true value will soon be revealed."
Originally, it could only demonstrate its true value long after the Apocalypse passed, but with my intervention, the story changes.
"We've finished our business here. Let's go."
I had obtained the scabbard I aimed for.
But this was not completion.
Only by obtaining the last piece—the Ancient King's Sword—could it finally be completed.
*
Srgk!
A merciless trajectory cleaving through flesh.
"Kuaaack!"
A severed arm twitched on the ground alongside a short scream.
"Fall back!"
"You monster bastard!"
They charged to save their injured comrade, but—
Kakakang!
The trajectory drawn by the monster deflected all of them as they charged in.
And.
Puhwaak—
Bisected flesh collapsed to the ground, spraying a fountain of blood.
"…."
Silence.
"Huk, heok—"
"Haa—"
And the battlefield mixed with rough breathing.
Around Tintagel Castle where the Stage 1 protection system had activated, dozens of personnel were forming a circle.
Situated in the center was a bronze statue showing traces of time.
With a rusted crown atop a deeply drawn hood, and a 1 meter 50 centimeter broadsword held in both hands, the bronze statue was familiar to those who visited Tintagel Castle.
Gallos.
A bronze statue meaning the Power of Cornwall.
What had been one of Cornwall's important tourist attractions until recently was moving.
And not just moving.
Pat—
It approached the left side at tremendous speed and swung the sword in its hand vertically.
An Easterner in samurai attire with his hand at his waist, on his scabbard.
"Hap!"
With a vigorous shout, he quickly drew his sword.
Trait: Quick Draw.
With a trait that produced tremendous speed and destructive power instantaneously, he swung his sword, and—
Kang!
Sword clashed against sword, sparks flying.
But.
"Keuk!"
The one pushed back was rather the Eastern man who had manifested Quick Draw.
Quick Draw, which demonstrated absolute power in at least a single strike, had been pushed back?
Moreover.
Tututuk.
The katana that couldn't withstand that single blow was breaking, fragments falling to the ground.
"Damn it!"
He shouted excitedly upon seeing the blood flowing from his torn palm.
But it wasn't a bad situation.
Even though they lost one comrade to a surprise attack, numerical superiority was still theirs.
Shwiiek!
Hidden weapons fired from everywhere poured toward Gallos.
Ting, tititing!
The brilliant trajectory of the sword deflected all those hidden weapons.
Of course, it didn't deflect all dozens of them.
Teong!
A few hidden weapons that luckily escaped the trajectory struck its torso.
But it didn't budge.
It was a bronze statue, not a living creature to begin with.
Even if struck by sharp hidden weapons, there was no way it would be affected.
Yet the reason it swung its sword to block a few hidden weapons was—
‘That place is definitely its weak point.’
The man with orange hair observing the battlefield muttered.
It blocked hidden weapons that it could have just taken.
The common point of those hidden weapons was that they had been aimed at the shining orb situated in the gap in the center of Gallos, where the inside was clearly visible.
The fact that it blocked every hidden weapon aimed there meant that was Gallos's only weak point.
‘Situation analysis complete.’
His gaze, having identified the weak point, turned to the sky.
In the blue sky, warm sunlight shone down, driving away the winter chill.
At that moment.
Bulge.
Loose black training clothes shook once.
Wind?
No, it was due to a change occurring inside his body.
The physique of the man, who until moments ago had been shriveled up and what one would call a beanpole, swelled surprisingly.
Moments later, what was revealed was a giant boasting a massive and muscular physique as if he had worked out for decades.
Kkwak!
He lifted the massive axe rolling on the ground with one hand.
Shouldering it.
"The time has come."
He stepped forward.
『The Power of Noon』
The man, Aiden of Black Moon, was an Awakened who had awakened the trait called The Power of Noon.
It was a trait that displayed tremendous monstrous strength when the sun was at its zenith at noon.
Although it had the weakness of his strength decreasing as time passed and the sun set, at least from noon until 1 o'clock, his monstrous strength overwhelmed everything.
"Heup!"
He stomped the ground with a shout.
Kwang!
An explosion-like roar rang out as—
Sswaeeaek!
—he charged toward Gallos at tremendous speed.
Had it sensed that pressure?
Gallos's gaze turned sharply toward Aiden charging in.
"Kuaaaa—"
A battle cry? No, letting out a scream like a monster's shriek, he swung the axe in his hand.
Hwoooong!
Due to that tremendous might, the atmosphere split with a massive sound.
Gallos's right hand, the rusted bronze sword, drew a trajectory.
Peoeng!
An explosion burst forth from the tremendous impact.
Everyone who had clashed with Gallos until now had been pushed back, unable to overcome that force, but Aiden was different.
Without retreating a single step, he fought a contest of strength.
Ggeugeuk, ggeuggeugeuk—
The bronze sword and axe moved left and right, beginning a fierce tug-of-war.
A hair-trigger situation.
"Now!"
Aiden gave the signal.
Papapapat!
Those waiting in the rear fired hidden weapons.
Shuriken, daggers, arrows, and other thrown and ranged weapons poured toward Gallos.
Under normal circumstances, blocking them wouldn't be difficult.
But now he was in a confrontation with Aiden.
Moreover, since he was facing a man of monstrous strength armed with the powerful trait The Power of Noon at its peak, bearing that force completely was no easy task.
Furthermore, hidden weapons were raining down around him aimed at the core, the power source that moved Gallos.
No matter where one looked, it was a formation well aware of that weak point, targeting Gallos.
「….」
Due to Aiden clinging tenaciously, it was a situation where Gallos had no choice but to expose its core.
Peopeopeok!
At the decisive moment, something protected Gallos.
"Geuuu—"
The thing letting out a scratchy, monstrous cry.
"A zombie?!"
It was someone who had been brought to death by Gallos, someone who until moments ago could have been called their comrade.
"Geo-"
"Geoo!"
It wasn't just one.
The Black Moon personnel killed by Gallos were rising one after another and moving toward Aiden.