Chapter 247 - Pioneering Africa (1)
“Yes, no one can come in here anymore.”
At Shin Eunah’s promise, Kang Shin-hyuk looked back at his friends.
“Then, tell me in order now. What traits are they?”
“Class B trait, Sharp Blade. It says I sharpen my sword with the energy of the wind? Oh, and the status is about C-rank on average.”
“I’m B+. Tada, am I breathing fire?”
“I’m A rank, hyung. It is called [Guardian], and it makes my body and equipment sturdier with the power of the earth. Oh, I guess I can build a dirt wall too.”
“Huh, Jo Woon-hyung!”
“Wow!”
It could be said that the chances of becoming a ranker only appeared with a B-rank trait, but the dimension seemed different for A-rank. Lee Jinseok and Yoo Hye-na were envious of Jo Woon-hyung, who had acquired an A rank trait. However, from the perspective of Kang Shin-hyuk, it seemed natural that the hard-working Jo Woon-hyung had managed to awaken the best trait.
“Traits can evolve, so don’t envy him and just do your best. For the time being, hide your abilities and pretend to awaken naturally after leaving Africa.”
“I know. This is all thanks to you, really.”
Lee Jinseok laughed and patted Kang Shin-hyuk’s shoulder. However, he didn’t think that the traits were awakened because of Kang Shin-hyuk’s trait, just that the special training was successful.
‘The traits are related to the attributes of the orbs that I’ve made or found… I will need to research this in the future.’
Even though they were comrades he could trust, he couldn’t confess that fact to them.
“Be vigilant in the future. Especially for Zeus.”
“To think our master was a traitor.”
“No one doubted him. If it weren’t for this hedgehog, I would’ve died.”
-Myu!
Onyx lifted his thorns up to avoid Yoo Hye-na, who tried to pet him and then ran onto Kang Shin-hyuk’s shoulder. He produced a dagger he had made and gave it to Onyx.
“You had a hard time, Onyx.”
-Myu.
“Hey, what about now? Are we heading back?”
Kang Shin-hyuk frowned at Lee Jinseok’s question. They had a fierce discussion with the superhumans and mercenary representatives an hour after both ships had safely returned. As a result, nothing had changed, and all ten ships were still destined for Africa.
“How are they still thinking about going to Africa after that?”
“Because they’ve already spent money.”
Shin Eunah spoke up coldly.
“If they turn the boat now, it won’t be good for them. In particular, the Gunners can’t withdraw if they want to protect their position as a mercenary guild, especially after losing their master.”
Kang Shin-hyuk had wondered if originally the association had put pressure on the Gunners to make them participate, but that wasn’t it. In superhuman society, they had to come so that they wouldn’t fall behind.
“Fools…”
“Yes, everyone is stupid. It’s always been like that.”
Shin Eunah reached out and tried to grasp Kang Shin-hyuk’s hand while she spoke. She stared at him in protest as he naturally avoided it.
“Uh, that… those two are…”
“Shut up.”
“Huh?”
Lee Jinseok carefully tried to ask a question about their relationship, but Yoo Hye-na shut him up. Kang Shin-hyuk ignored all of them and looked around the ships near the Gunners. All five ships were kept at the same distance.
-It’s a ship named Desire, member. There is also a fox named Desire next to you.
‘Don’t say stuff like that.’
-500,000HP bonus!
‘Please.’
It was absurd that the other mercenaries wouldn’t retreat, but among them, the guild Zeus was shamelessly keeping up with them. They maintained a calm appearance as if they had nothing to do with what happened before. Zeus’s submaster Yoo Jun-man, who participated in the earlier meeting, even laughed as if it were fortunate that Kang Shin-hyuk was safe.
“Not that I thought it would be easy to reveal them…”
The guys they captured inside the gate didn’t have any strong evidence that Zeus was connected to Jormungand. However, since he found a personal item on Tylo Kaube’s body with traces of communication with Zeus, the Gunners were on the lookout for Zeus.
“The tap is still working?”
“Of course.”
“Then it’s okay.”
Shin Eunah maintained a calm expression in response to Kang Shin-hyuk’s worrying.
“When they bare their fangs again, you can kill them all.”
“…Okay.”
Her parents were involved, but he didn’t know if he could ask if she was okay. Instead, he grabbed her outstretched hand without avoiding it. The three from the orphanage instinctively understood it would mean trouble if they stuck around, so they fled quietly. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as he watched them leave and mumbled to himself.
“Slowly become independent.”
“I am independent. Skinship is different.”
It was surprising that she claimed that, but it was even more so that she blatantly argued that skinship was separate.
“It’s still far off, in my opinion?”
“…Do you hold hands with Claire?”
He narrowed his eyes and looked over at her, but she seemed calm despite the out of the blue question. Previously, she had run desperately when he tried to confess his relationship with Claire. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and answered honestly.
“Yes.”
“…Huh.”
Was this her trying to grasp the relationship between Kang Shin-hyuk and Claire? He sighed as he gave her another side-long glance.
“Ah, here you are! I kept looking for you!”3333
Bridget Poulsen gently landed beside them at that moment, having flown in from the sky.
“Would you like to hold my hand too?”
“I hate it.”
“Cheh, then, with the Death Puppeteer.”
“I hate it too.”
Of course, she wouldn’t give in.
“To be such a firm refusal…! But, what about sharing a bed?”
“If you want to fall asleep, I will help you do so. Forever.”
“Kahak! Catch me!”
Kang Shin-hyuk barely escaped from Shin Eunah thanks to Bridget’s noble sacrifice. Left alone, he returned to his ship and reported to Claire that he had used one of her potions.
[?Claire?: Are you hurt?]
[I’m fine.]
[?Claire?: That’s good. I want to make one more right away, but the ingredients aren’t for sale.]
[I’m fine; it was just one potion. But thanks to that, we did well.]
[?Claire?: How was Oh Joo-young? Did you tell Vanguard?]
[I didn’t. It seems to me that he was just interested in getting stronger.]
Like a typical cartoon villain, he swallowed those words, but Claire responded.
[?Claire?: It seems like he became a monster. Even abandoning his daughter that was left alone… really the worst.]
[Anyway, now he’s gone completely. Oh Hye-na will be happier if she doesn’t know.]
He sent the message and picked up Excalibur: Despair, which had previously gone into his inventory. Shin Eunah didn’t hesitate to say she didn’t need it, so she handed it over. Its rank was unknown, but it was possible to speculate that it contained his essence as he held it until the moment he died. However, Kang Shin-hyuk stopped searching for it with spiritual power as he sensed terrible malice and desire inside of it.
[Claire, sorry. Cancel what I just said.]
[?Claire?: Huh?]
[He isn’t dead yet.]
Kang Shin-hyuk had been mistaken about one thing. He assumed the core of Oh Joo-young was his head since that was what Jormungand had taken, but it wasn’t. His trait was to give power to a sword, and since he became a demon to maximize that particular trait, he was able to create several swords that contained himself. Indeed, Oh Joo-young’s ego had been divided and contained in the Excalibur named Despair.
[?Claire?: Isn’t that a Horcrux? Or a phylactery?]
[Let’s call it a split compression.]
[?Claire?: Very smart.]
Of course, since Shin Eunah killed him and burnt his head, he wouldn’t be able to use that ability again. However, the swords he had already made would exist inside Jormungand… Oh Joo-young wouldn’t be dead unless all of them were destroyed.
[?Claire?: So, isn’t that sword the most dangerous right now? It’s the one he was holding.]
[Yes.]
He had been concentrating all his remaining power on the sword when he died. Such a bold move was possible for a monster like him. It was even possible to invade the body of the person holding the sword and take it over. Had this sword fallen into someone else’s hands, it would’ve been truly dangerous.
[But he can’t handle spiritual power. Don’t worry and leave it to me.]
[?Claire?: Yes… if it’s spiritual power, we’re the best.]
[It’s a rather good opportunity.]
The source of one who was the world’s No. 1 before was by no means an easy target, but it had to be considerably weakened after dividing himself. If he slowly whittled away at it, Kang Shin-hyuk could take that power for himself.
‘Putting a special power into other things… it’s in line with my abilities.’
Perhaps conquering this sword would cause the Guardian Golden Dragon to evolve. Kang Shin-hyuk trembled with that premonition.
[?Claire?: I miss you. When you went on the dimensional quest, it was a different world so that I could wait quietly, but Earth is different.]
[I want to see you too. I’ll finish it quickly.]
[?Claire?: If you get hurt, I’ll…]
[I love you.]
[?Claire?: I don’t know. Come back and tell me.]
Claire invigorated his exhausted spirit. Looking up, he noticed the superhumans getting ready for another battle.
“Erosion-type gate dead ahead! Prepare for battle!”
“Damn, who said the sea route was the easiest?!”
“Then you’ll need to rush to Gibraltar!”
From Zeus to Jormungand, Oh Joo-young to Shin Eunah, there were many things to worry about, but reaching the continent of Africa was no easy task. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and raised his scythe.
They still had many gates to pass on the way to Casablanca.
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