Chapter 95

Weapon Crafting (2)

It's subtle, but definitely perceptible.

A sinister and ominous aura, like a sticky darkness.

I heightened my extrasensory perception and stared intently into the warehouse, beyond the darkness.

What came into view was a black box.

It was immediately clear that it was bound with something like chains, and it exuded a magical aura.

It was separated from the other minerals, embedded alone in a corner, and the source of the felt aura seemed to be inside that box.

"Can you sense it? Indeed, you have excellent perception."

At that moment, Sinthei said, turning his gaze to the inside of the warehouse.

Ashell looked puzzled, as if she couldn't sense anything.

"What's inside there?"

I thought it was a warehouse for storing minerals, but could it contain some magical items?

Even though the aura was very faint, it made me feel distinctly uncomfortable.

When I asked Sinthei, he stroked his beard and answered frankly.

"It's a mineral. No different from what you see around here."

"......A mineral?"

"Of course, it's not an ordinary mineral. Would you like to take a closer look?"

Sinthei moved closer to the box and easily unlocked it, then opened it.

Inside was indeed a mineral, as he had said.

A mineral emitting a blackish glow.

The only difference was that it was filled with an overwhelmingly ominous aura.

I couldn't tell what material the box was made of, but it seemed to have been blocking the aura, as it became much stronger the moment the lid was opened.

"This was something I obtained by chance from the Magic Realm Oktea in the past. It doesn't have a name yet, but it's one of the best minerals I've seen in my lifetime. However, it's a difficult material to use for equipment crafting."

......From Oktea?

It was a different Magic Realm from Halumenta, which I had visited before.

What did he mean by it being difficult to use as a material? Sinthei's explanation continued.

"Minerals that form naturally come in countless varieties. Among them, there are very rare ones that not only have strong magical conductivity but also possess unique characteristics. This one, while we don't know the exact principle of its formation, is a mineral imbued with a murky sentiment from countless soul fragments. The Magic Realm is a place where all sorts of things beyond common sense happen, so it's not surprising."

"......?"

"Try touching it, and you'll understand."

I stared intently at the black mineral and, as he suggested, touched it.

And I immediately felt it.

The powerful and eerie presence within the mineral, trying to infiltrate my consciousness.

- Kyaahhh......!

A strange resonance, a mix of laughter and screams, echoed in my mind.

Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands...... countless sentiments, as Sinthei had described, were felt within it.

Thanks to the Emperor's soul, my mind wasn't shaken, but if I were an ordinary person, it would have been reasonable to lose my sanity.

It reminded me of the blood essence of Gascalid, which I had experienced when obtaining the blood magic.

"Your mind is strong."

When I detached my hand without showing any signs, Sinthei looked genuinely surprised.

"Is it the sentiments that make it difficult to use as a material?"

"That's right. It's not the kind of thing you can endure just by having strong mental fortitude."

Sinthei turned his gaze to the side.

Looking at Ashell, who was staring at the mineral with curiosity, he said,

"If you're curious, try touching it. If you can withstand the sentiments within this mineral, I'll gladly use it to craft the best sword and armor for you."

Ashell hesitated for a moment before reaching out.

I was also curious to see if she could endure it.

The result was immediate.

"......!"

As soon as she touched the mineral, she gasped, and within a few seconds, she pulled her hand away in fright.

In that brief moment, Ashell's face turned pale as if she had seen a ghost.

Even though she had grown to level 90, she was affected to this extent?

The sentiments within this mineral seemed more threatening than I had thought.

"Is there no way to remove the sentiments?"

Sinthei shook his head.

"I've already asked the Archduke, but he said it would be difficult to remove the sentiments without destroying the mineral. It's not something that can be solved with simple refining or magical processing."

I turned my gaze back to the mineral and stared at it.

A thought suddenly came to me.

'......Could this not work either?'

Based on my speculation, my instant kill ability is one that eliminates the soul itself.

That's why it was possible to remove the residual sentiments of Gascalid when I obtained the blood essence.

So, it should be possible with this as well.

If the sentiments within this mineral can be eliminated with my instant kill ability, there would be no problem, right?

Sinthei said it was one of the best minerals he had seen in his lifetime, so if it were used as a material, it could create an incredible weapon.

Since Ashell's combat power would greatly increase with better equipment, this would be a very good thing.

It might even be on par with the best divine armor 'Gaelid' that Sinthei crafted using orichalcum during the emergency summons...... or maybe that's too optimistic. Anyway.

"If the problem with the sentiments can be solved, can you use this mineral to craft Ashell's equipment?"

"Yes, but as I said, we haven't found a suitable method yet."

I nodded and placed my hand on the mineral again, then used my instant kill ability.

At the same time, the eerie resonance that had been echoing in my mind suddenly stopped, and the strange aura from the mineral disappeared.

The sentiments had been successfully eliminated, as I had thought.

Sinthei looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if he had sensed it.

"What did you just......"

I removed my hand from the mineral and said,

"I eliminated the sentiments within the mineral."

"......?"

Sinthei, looking confused, reached out to the mineral.

He soon opened his eyes wide.

"Wha......?"

He examined the mineral from all angles with a look of disbelief and then let out a small exclamation.

"......Amazing. The sentiments are completely gone. What did you just do?"

His usually calm voice now carried a hint of excitement, showing that he was truly surprised.

To him, it must have looked like I just touched the mineral and then removed my hand, so it was natural for him to be surprised.

"Is it problem-free now?"

Sinthei chuckled and nodded.

"As you said, I'll use this as a material to craft the equipment. It's been in the warehouse for decades, a useless item......"

The mineral was quite large, enough to make a set of sword and armor for Ashell and still have more than half left over.

I suddenly remembered something Sinthei had said and asked,

"By the way, didn't you say that the compatibility between the user and the material is important?"

Does this black mineral match well with Ashell's magic?

Just by looking, the colors are completely opposite, so it doesn't seem to fit at all.

Sinthei shook his head.

"That's true for minerals with similar efficiency, but this one is far superior to the ones we just examined, so it doesn't matter. Whether it's magical conductivity or durability, it's excellent in every way."

......Well, he'll probably make it well.

I didn't ask him any more questions, as he was focused on the mineral.

After leaving the warehouse, we immediately set out from the Duke's castle.

There was no reason to stay longer since our business was done.

Sinthei said he would send a messenger to the 7th Dominion when the equipment was completed.

"Thank you very much, 1st Duke."

Ashell gave a belated thank you to Sinthei.

Although she had been dragged along somewhat unwillingly, she was receiving equipment crafted by the continent's best blacksmith.

Sinthei nodded and saw us off.

"Take care, 7th Duke."

Just as I was about to mount Tyungi, he suddenly called out to Ashell again.

"By the way, it seems you haven't fully mastered the Grunhilt's vision yet."

"Yes."

"I remember it involved dividing the magic core into three parts. Is that correct?"

"......Yes, that's correct."

Ashell looked a bit uneasy, not expecting him to know the vision of her clan in such detail.

"Don't misunderstand. I only heard it from your ancestors. I only know the general principle."

Sinthei explained.

"The reason I brought this up is that I have something I want to tell you. I don't know if you already know this......"

He seemed to be recalling something as he spoke.

"Don't think of the separated cores as individual entities. Consider them as one and control them as such."

"......"

"This was the key to overcoming the final barrier in mastering the vision, according to your ancestors."

Ashell's eyes widened.

Sinthei nodded at her reaction.

"From your expression, it seems you didn't know this."

"Yes......"

"Your ancestor achieved a level that could stand alongside a Duke. If you fully embrace his legacy, you can reach that level too."

Sinthei said this matter-of-factly and then turned away.

Ashell looked at his back with a dazed expression.

I was also a bit curious about the relationship between Ashell's ancestor and Sinthei.

The fact that he remembered a connection from hundreds of years ago and gave such advice suggested they had a close relationship...... Hmm.

"Let's go."

I turned my gaze from him and spoke.

Tyungi flapped its heavy wings and took off into the sky.

Since we had entrusted the equipment crafting, it was time to head to our next destination.

The place where the mysteries of Saintea are hidden.

***

The barren wilderness north of Saintea.

The dry wind kept hitting my face, and I rubbed my eyes as I looked down.

In this place, where there is nothing but dull rocks and no plants, there is a mystery to be found.

'The Mystery of Acceleration.'

As the name suggests, it was a mystery that increased speed.

A mystery that made the body move faster and more agile.

Although I rarely used my body and already had spatial leap, it was still a good ability to have, so I came to find it.

The Mystery of Acceleration was a mystery I had discovered in the game, and the terrain of the hidden location was noticeable, so it wasn't difficult to find.

Riding Tyungi, I quickly spotted a small pond in the middle of the plain and a cave nearby.

"Wait here for a moment."

As usual, I left Ashell outside and entered the cave alone.

This place, like the Immovable Curtain mystery I had found before, was the location of a dungeon.

Exploring the inside of the cave, I soon found the entrance to the dungeon, a door. However......

"......?"

I furrowed my brow.

The door was wide open, as if someone had already entered the dungeon.

'What is this?'

I heightened my extrasensory perception and carefully examined the path I had taken.

Only then did I notice the traces on the ground: the scraping marks, faint footprints, and signs that someone had discovered this dungeon and entered it.

I couldn't help but feel a bit bewildered.

'No......'

In the game, that is, in the future, no one had discovered this dungeon before me.

Something unexpected had happened.

Why? Was it a mistake? Or a variable created by the butterfly effect of my existence?

"......"

There were no signs of anyone coming out, so the intruders were still inside.

I pondered what to do and then stepped into the open door.

I had to check if the mystery was still intact, since I had come this far.