◈ Episode 141

I think about it every time, but I desperately needed an airplane.

In a situation where I had to inevitably travel between several countries, it was extremely frustrating to only use land routes. How many days did I waste just traveling?

─As I was complaining like that, Chelsea had a fit as promised. Despite the last few flights, she still seemed uncomfortable on the plane.

I didn't quite understand it.

'It's not a means of transportation for everyday use, though.'

It's not just a fuss. As Chelsea says, the air is dangerous. Monsters that can be easily dealt with on the ground pose a big threat, and you may also encounter unusual currents that confuse precision machinery.

Compared to Earth, the probability of crashing during a flight is extremely high. If we were to quantify it, it would be less than 3 percent. But anyone would know that 3 percent is not such a low number.

Especially if you are a mobile game user.

'I should be grateful that I have tea.'

If Polaris was set before the modern era, I might have lost my mind. I don't have the confidence to travel around for two or three weeks on a horse or carriage.

If you think about it, it wasn't limited to transportation. Kim Yi-hyeon was receiving various blessings from modern civilization. Guns, food, toilets, etc.

'If it weren't for Polaris, I would have died or gone crazy a long time ago.'

Yeah, maybe it's fortunate that it's Polaris...

Kim Yi-hyeon was surprised by the sudden thought.

'It's definitely changed a lot.'

It was so daunting at the beginning of this 'drifting' without knowing English.

Now, I've reached a point where I'm not just adapting, I'm completely accepting it.

The prospect of returning to one's original life remains bleak,

The sense of injustice and despair is fading away day by day─.

'I've said it all since I'm more familiar with the title 'Hyeon'.'

I thought about it.

In the near future, say tomorrow, if a message suddenly appears in front of you and asks, "Do you want to return to Earth?", what decision would you make? Would you be able to grab the rope without hesitation?

'Well.'

It's hard to say for sure. In many ways, it's not like it used to be.

Because the first thing that catches your eye are the countless things that need to be thrown away.

"...."

Kim Yi-hyeon turned his gaze to the left as he looked out the car window. As usual, Asterike was clinging to his side, breathing evenly.

As if everything is something that can be mastered, at some point the horn stopped poking Kim I-Hyeon's face. Also, Arya was leaning on Asterike as Arya, but there was no human Domino.

"Oh my."

Because they are like gold.

* * *

It was not until the end of August that I was able to return to rap. It had been a long time, but it wasn't enough to relieve my reminiscence. I had met with the agents at a conference.

Above all, from now on, things won't be that leisurely.

"Ishradra. Are you sure?"

"Didn't you say it was most likely?"

Unlike usual, Edwin was also present in the research lab director's office. It was a place for discussion. Not to react belatedly, but to predict the Legion's actions and move ahead.

"I'm not saying that's certain, but the Legion has had a keen interest in Ishrad for a long time. It's full of resources that the Legion would covet."

"Resources? You mean the solution that strengthens spells?"

"No, that's not a problem."

Edwin, who was immediately negative, added an explanation.

"There is a traitor to the Legion at the top of the ivory tower."

"...So you're saying that it was being stolen a long time ago?"

"I understand that most of the spell research data that the Legion possesses is from the ivory tower. We are also conducting our own research within the organization, but the accumulated amount is different."

Kushan let out a heavy sigh. It was something he had inferred to some extent. There were aspects of Legion's technology that were superior to that of Cellbrox Labs.

The Ivory Tower has been studying spells for a long time. If you have been able to share the information there, you can understand why the Legion, with its short history, has acquired such technology.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about the past, so let's leave it alone."

Kim Lee-hyun intervened appropriately to keep the topic from straying to Samcheonpo.

"If it's a resource that the Legion covets, other than the research data that has already been leaked…."

"It's a person."

Edwin said in one word:

"This is especially true in a situation where the executive staff is completely empty. First of all, we need to supplement our personnel. To do that, there is no better target than Ishrad."

What would happen next was something both Kushan and Kim Ihyeon could have predicted. In addition to the research facility that occupied an entire city, there is one famous building in Ishrad.

"The Legion will target the Philstein Prison."

It is an essential facility for the country, unless all criminals are summarily executed or it is a lawless area like Banjar. However, there is something that sets Philstein apart from other prisons.

All prisoners are spell holders.

Ishrad buys spell-wielding criminals from all over the world to use as lab rats. Although not as active as before due to accessibility issues, the 'buying' still continues.

It is like a golden mountain to the legion.

"I understand. I've been on guard since before, but there must be many things that are difficult to perceive from a distance."

Kushan nodded. Then he stared at Edwin.

"I asked you a lot of questions last time too. I wish you had cooperated as actively as you do now."

This is the story of when Kim I-hyeon first brought Edwin. Naturally, Kushan persistently interrogated Edwin, saying that he was a traitor to the Legion. However, he did not get any significant results.

"You've been acting like you don't know the whole time, so what change of heart did you have?"

"I didn't answer because I didn't know you at all. By my standards, there was no guarantee that you weren't worse than the Legion."

"Is it different now?"

"Well, I don't know anything about this lab yet…."

Edwin's eyes turned to Kim Ihyeon.

"At least I have someone I can trust when it comes to these things."

It's a sense of a friend of a friend, so to speak. Kim Yi-Hyun is definitely hostile to Legion and considers CellbroLogics Lab as his comrades. It was enough to open his mouth.

"I see."

Kushan also smiled bitterly and looked at Kim Ihyeon.

But I was actually just dumbfounded.

'Hey. Isn't something going strange?'

Originally, Edwin was inspired by the professor and Leila and joined the lab. However, in the current conversation, it felt like he was affiliated with Dustborne, not the lab.

After thinking about this for a moment.

'... ...Is it okay?'

It didn't look too bad.

* * *

Before leaving for Ishrad, maintenance was needed. First, Edwin's equipment. Of the 11 items sent by Asus General Trading Company, one shield and one mace survived.

"I think it'll be okay by now."

Edwin also seemed satisfied. If we only look at the quality of the equipment, it would be comparable to a 3-star special weapon. But since there are no special effects, the comparison itself would be meaningless.

In the game, a shield and a sword were used, but in reality, an integrated bludgeon without a chain was adopted. There is no particular reason for this. It was simply because it was easier to handle.

Even in the game's settings, Edwin wasn't particularly skilled in terms of technique. He was the type that put extreme emphasis on his cockroach-like vitality and Pecatum's unique toughness.

It means that no matter what you give it, it's all the same.

Unless you're locked into a system like a game.

Next up was the long-awaited 6-star weapon.

"Okay. Take it."

When we went to the production workshop, we were able to receive the item as expected. When Tamtam threw the scabbard and the whole thing, Kim Ihyeon caught it with a smile.

"Be careful. What if you get a scratch?"

"What the heck, you punk? Do you think I would make it so sloppy?"

"No, I don't suspect anything. It's new, so let's be careful."

Tamtam's eyes widened as if his pride had been hurt. He had been bowing down like that when I handed him the Locknidi. But now, he seemed to have completely regained his original form.

But it only lasted a moment. Soon, the strength left Tamtam's eyes.

"It feels good to be treated with such care. It may seem like I'm just churning out my work to others, but each and every one of my pieces is like my own child. I treat them with great care, really."

"That's obvious."

Kim Yi-hyeon thought to himself. He must be the one who objectively understands the value of this sword better than anyone else. More so than Tam-tam, the sword's mother and father.

'I wonder if there is anything I own that is this precious.'

To begin with, I don't have many belongings. Even if I were to empty my entire savings, I wouldn't be able to buy equipment like this. Except for war-worthy firearms like mortars.

He pulled his sword out of its small, black sheath.

The revealed form looked rather shabby. Strictly speaking, it was an Estoc, extremely specialized for stabbing. In fact, it was just a hilt attached to a dirty awl.

It matches the illustration perfectly.

The result was very satisfactory.

"I've already finished repairing the other swords, so take them with you, um."

Tamtam, who had been opening his mouth hesitantly, said.

"That thing, the awl. I don't know where it came from, but I'll warn you in advance."

The look in his eyes as he looked at the sword was a mixture of affection and reluctance. Although he used the core as is, it was a work of art that he had personally worked on. He was a child who could not be purely fond of it.

"You'd better be careful. I honestly don't consider that a sword."

Tamtam's assessment was half right.

In terms of the game system, it is classified as a sword.

However, the name itself does not contain the word sword.

[Chulyeongjeong (芻霊釘)]

[Rating: ★★★★★★]

[Category: Weapon]

[Description: A weapon made from an unidentified relic discovered in the ruins of Naraka. Although it may have borrowed the form of a sword, its essence is closer to a nail. Not much has been revealed about when it was used or for what purpose, but one thing is certain: it is a cursed fetish. Even after a long time, the curse seems to have not diminished.]

[Effect: When attacking the same target 3 times, the 'Death' effect is applied, dealing magic damage equivalent to 30% of the target's maximum HP for 3 seconds, and the user enters a 'Resonance' state, reducing HP by 15%.

Additionally, the 'Death' effect has a 1-minute cooldown after activation, and each time the 'Death' effect is activated within a battle, the damage of 'Resonance' increases by 5%.]

'Honestly, it's not very versatile.'

It is a weapon specialized for bosses, and you can't beat all bosses. It deals magic damage, not fixed damage. The damage it deals varies depending on resistance. It has a long cooldown and even a penalty.

It's not that it's bad, but it's not so good that it'll make your eyes pop out. It's just the right performance for a distribution weapon.

There were even rumors going around that it was aimed at non-paying users. The idea was that once they were given the chance to experience paid equipment, they would have no choice but to open their wallets.

But everything has its compatibility.

Depending on the situation, it may be less than 5 stars -

Conversely, if the conditions are met, it can easily achieve 6-star value.

"I'll be careful. And thank you, sincerely."

"Yeah, yeah. Ahem. Embarrassingly…."

"It's rewarding because I like it this much," Tamtam muttered. In the game, making it according to orders was a given. Now that it became reality, he was grateful just for the fact that he didn't fail.

I put it back in its sheath and held it against my waist for no reason. It might seem cheap, but it was such a deep feeling. It felt like only yesterday that I was swinging [Mubyeong1 Shinchang], but now I've achieved 6 stars.

'It's sturdy.'

As expected, Byul is a bully.

* * *

The last one was Chelsea.

"I'm sorry for being late."

After arriving at the lab, he asked me to wait a moment, and then came to see Kim I-hyeon at lunch the next day. He had dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept all night. It was a sign of agony.

"I'm asking just in case, so there are no side effects?"

"I haven't tried it, so I can't guarantee."

Of course, this item was not in the game. To be exact, it only existed in the settings. An item that inherits someone else's spells, how complicated would the system be?

"The researchers said that there seems to be no problem in interpreting it. They said that it depends on the suitability, but I don't know about the professional story. The lab also said that it is theoretically possible to produce it."

This is only theoretically possible. If you do something that inhumane in the lab, the professor and Leila will be extremely angry. It is a sore spot for the organization called CellbroLogics Lab.

'Be kind.'

Suddenly, Shadow came to mind. He was a typical victim of human experimentation. A boy who was incapable of anything, he gained immense power and endless pain due to the factor implanted in him.

The chances of Chelsea doing that are approaching 0%.

Leaving aside the question of suitability, the case is entirely different.

'Because the factor that went into Shadow was special.'

It is the epitome of madness. You could even call it the original sin of rap. The entity that created Shadower is Legion, but the research itself began in the distant past, in rap.

There will come a day when we can talk.

"...I've decided."

Chelsea squeezed her eyes shut.

"I need to increase my value. I need to pull it out as much as I can while I'm young."

The playful smile on his face was incredibly awkward. He was the type of guy who would pretend to die just by riding a helicopter. There was no way he wouldn't be scared of injecting his body with suspicious drugs.

Since he had the courage, I should reward him.

"Okay. Don't worry about money."

"I made a promise. If something goes wrong, I won't blame you, but if you cut corners with my allowance, I'll curse you."

"Have I ever given you something to spare? I always gave you something generous."

"Our boss is trustworthy in that regard."

The stiff smile became natural.

That day, Chelsea's spell was awakened.