Chapter 83

Chapter 8. Recuperation (6)

Edora nodded silently.

Pant rubbed his aching side and approached.

“Well, I came here because of that, Father. You didn’t even blink when Artia caused all that commotion. What’s gotten into you to make such a fuss now?”

He has always maintained strict neutrality in external affairs.

It was a long-standing rule that had been passed down in the unicorn tribe.

And it was also the reason they could reign as the strongest clan.

“I tried to let it go, but this time, it seems I can’t.”

At the middle-aged man’s words, Pant and Edora’s faces stiffened.

Their father was one of the ‘Nine Kings,’ who held the highest position in the tower.

In terms of pure combat strength, he was among the top five.

If someone like him said it was difficult, what could it possibly be?

“We have decided to participate as mercenaries.”

“Huh? But—”

“Flang said he would give up his ‘horn.’ There was no way to avoid it. The other elders have already reluctantly agreed.”

“…!”

“…!”

Pant and Edora’s eyes widened.

To the unicorns, the horn was a symbol of pride. Flang was the middle-aged man’s younger brother and one of the top warriors in the tribe.

For him to say he would give up his horn was equivalent to offering everything he had.

The middle-aged man couldn’t have completely avoided it either.

“Since this will take some time, let’s go inside first.”

* * *

“I don’t know much about it either.”

‘Hmm. Is that so.’

Yeonwoo asked, lifting his head, even though he knew Phoenix wasn’t there.

“Do you see anything?”

‘See anything? No. I can see and feel most things, but I have no idea what this is. It’s like…’

Phoenix’s voice trailed off before continuing.

‘Yes, it’s like it’s shrouded in mist. At least to my eyes.’

‘An artifact that even the Divine Beast’s eyes can’t see. This is troublesome.’

Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes.

Phoenix continued.

‘However, there is one thing I can tell.’

“What is it?”

‘It is an object that stands at the opposite end from me, yet it is on the same line, like a mirror.’

‘Opposite end? Mirror?’

It was a cryptic metaphor.

‘I am born of life and burn with life. But this object is born of death and fades into death. Life and death are separated by a thin line, and both I and this object possess the cycle of rebirth and resurrection.’

Phoenix’s voice deepened.

‘Therefore, it is a mirror, a duality, an opposite, and on the same line.’

“…”

Yeonwoo couldn’t understand Phoenix’s words at all.

Phoenix chuckled, as if reading Yeonwoo’s thoughts.

‘Yes, it must be very confusing. Even to me, it’s a peculiar object, so how much more so for a mortal like you?’

Then he left a mysterious statement.

‘But there is one thing you should know. If you do, you might unravel the secrets of this object someday.’

“What is it?”

‘Life and death are different, yet not different. They are one.’

“Life and death are one…?”

‘Yes.’

Phoenix is both alive and dead, having been reborn.

On the other hand, the black bracelet deals with death, gathering and controlling the souls of the dead in the form of wraiths and spirits. This could also be seen as a form of resurrection.

Perhaps Phoenix was referring to this.

Though it was a riddle, Yeonwoo strongly felt that this might be the key to uncovering the identity of the Black King.

‘And unlike the bracelet, the shield exudes a clear sense of divinity. Hmm. Is it an item blessed by the God of War, or one he used directly?’

Yeonwoo’s eyes widened in surprise.

Phoenix’s tone seemed slightly smug.

‘It doesn’t seem to want to reveal itself much. I understand. I will remain silent about this, bound by the word of honor.’

A word of honor.

It was a magical contract that bound one’s existence, causing the soul to be destroyed if the promise was broken. It showed a determination not to reveal it to anyone else.

“Thank you.”

‘You are the benefactor who saved my child. It’s only natural to show such consideration. However, I would like to examine the shield as well. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a divine weapon, and it’s quite interesting.’

Since the contract was in place, showing it seemed fine.

‘Besides, you seem to know a lot about divine weapons, so it would be easy to ask questions if I don’t know something.’

Yeonwoo took out Aegis from his back and gently stroked it.

A semi-transparent, light pink, nine-layered shield.

Just looking at it, it was as beautiful as a work of art crafted by a master.

However, at the center of the thick shield, a grotesque monster’s head was embedded.

‘It’s a Gorgon.’

Medusa, who could turn people to stone with a glance.

‘Yes, I’ve heard of it. There is a goddess who resides in Olympus, known for her sharp mind and bravery. She repels impure energies and brings only righteous power. Is this her item?’

Yeonwoo examined Aegis with his Dragon Eye while listening to Phoenix’s admiration.

[Aegis of Athena]

Category: ???

Grade: ???

Description: An absolute defensive item made of nine petal-like shields. It is imbued with the divine power and blessing of Athena, the Goddess of War, protecting the user from most attacks.

However, as a divine weapon, it is known to choose its owner and will harm the user if they have impure intentions or defile Athena’s honor.

* Curse of the Gorgon

Athena once punished the three Gorgon sisters who rebelled against Olympus by having her messenger, Perseus, cut off their heads and attach them to the center of the shield.

It boasts the ability to repel impure energies and cast a powerful petrification curse on enemies who make eye contact.

* Goddess’s Blade

It bestows a strong blessing from the goddess, protecting the user from blind arrows and blades and radiating an overwhelming aura to break the enemy’s will.

Additionally, it grants simultaneous blessings to allies within a certain range, increasing their abilities and morale by 10% and all attribute defenses by 15%.

The effect spreads to a wider range and more people as proficiency increases.

* ???

It is in an inactive state. (Sealed)

** This artifact is ‘Unique.’ It exists as only one in the tower and is completely owned by its owner. It cannot be traded or transferred to others.

** Some functions are sealed. Certain qualifications or conditions must be met to unlock them.

** Some information cannot be viewed. Certain qualifications or conditions must be met to gain access.

The information window’s content seemed much more detailed because it recognized Yeonwoo as the owner.

‘It’s quite different from the black bracelet, but it’s that much better.’

“Indeed.”

Yeonwoo nodded, shivering.

Was it because it was a divine weapon?

It was too good.

Yeonwoo had obtained numerous hidden pieces based on the diary’s contents and monopolized many good artifacts and skills.

But Aegis was so outstanding that it could surpass all of them.

Aegis serves both as a defensive item and a weapon.

With its excellent defense, it provides the ability to repel impurities and cast a petrification curse, protecting the owner from a wide range of enemies.

However, what Yeonwoo found most noteworthy was something else.

‘Crowd control ability.’

An option that gives buffs to allies and debuffs to enemies.

This was often a skill or characteristic of rulers.

However, it had a clear limitation of ‘one’s own subordinates,’ and even then, there were numerical or range limitations.

But Aegis’s effect could be applied to all allies that Yeonwoo recognized.

This meant that when Yeonwoo had multiple wraith and spirit armies, he could simultaneously enhance their abilities.

Just by possessing it, it brought a significant boost to his combat power.

‘It’s much more functional than Jungwoo realized. With this, I won’t have to worry about blind attacks.’

Currently, there are few known to possess divine weapons in the tower.

If there are any, they are mostly messengers who act on the will of the gods. Few, like Yeonwoo, possess them without any restrictions.

‘However, it’s not something to be overly happy about. The original owner’s personality is strict, and the usage conditions seem quite stringent.’

Yeonwoo nodded, agreeing with Phoenix’s words.

Indeed, as he said, there were restrictions.

Yeonwoo focused on two points in the description.

‘Impure intentions’ and ‘Athena’s honor.’

In mythology, Athena is a pure and noble goddess of war, valuing honor and justice, and thus respected by many.

‘Impure intentions, huh.’

Yeonwoo always dreams of revenge. How Athena would receive this was crucial.

‘I need to be careful with the repelling ability too.’

Yeonwoo looked at the spirits who were avoiding coming within a certain distance.

[The spirits are looking at the item you possess with fear.]

[Their affinity has slightly decreased.]

The spirits were turning their heads to avoid making eye contact with the Gorgon’s face and eyes.

The weaker ones were even trembling.

Out of curiosity, he tried to draw the black blade.

Zing—

The black blade, which had formed in his hand, dispersed with a sound like breaking glass.

Yeonwoo clicked his tongue.

‘The black bracelet and Aegis don’t seem to work well together.’

This was an unexpected result.

The black bracelet uses curses and evil intentions, while Aegis boasts a holy characteristic. Naturally, they would conflict.

He would have to be careful when using both.

When using one, he would need to deactivate the other.

‘What about Vigrid?’

Yeonwoo drew Vigrid, which was fixed to his back, and held it in his right hand.

Once a holy sword, it had become a cursed blade after consuming too much blood. How would it react?

Zing—

Vigrid trembled when it came into contact with Aegis’s holy aura.

However,

[The curse on ‘Vigrid’ is being gradually cleansed by ‘Aegis’s’ repelling ability.]

[It is beginning to show its holy sword characteristics, but the curse of the cursed blade is too strong, requiring more divine power.]

‘So that’s how it is.’

Yeonwoo let out a small exclamation.

He already knew he needed to cleanse the curse to fully awaken Vigrid’s functions.

It seemed Aegis could help with this to some extent.

‘The bracelet that deals with death resists, while the cursed holy sword welcomes. This is interesting. Very interesting!’

Phoenix’s voice sounded delighted.

Yeonwoo chuckled and quickly processed the information in his mind.

‘Then, there are two possible weapon combinations I can use immediately.’

Yeonwoo ran a few simulations in his mind.

In normal situations, he would stick to his usual combat style, using the greatsword and Krashna’s dagger as his main weapons, with the black bracelet as a support.

This would emphasize his excellent agility.

It was the fighting style he had always used, so there wouldn’t be much change.

However, when strong offensive power and destructive force were needed, or in a chaotic battle, Vigrid and Aegis would be useful.

Vigrid would provide strong destructive power, while Aegis would offer solid defense and wide-ranging crowd control.

In game terms, they would be the first and second sets of equipment.

Yeonwoo burst into laughter.

With this,

He had almost all the equipment he had planned for.

* * *

The ominous item and the divine item.

Phoenix evaluated the Black King’s Despair and Aegis as such.

He also mentioned that the Black King’s Despair was close to him, while Aegis was far.

‘As I said, the bracelet is only a step away from me. But the shield is very distant. The existence of a god is burdensome to us who live by breaking their rules.’

He then said to Yeonwoo,

‘However, it’s not common for someone to possess two artifacts with such distinct characteristics simultaneously. It might be worth investigating why the tower gave you such a gift.’

It was still a riddle, but Yeonwoo felt grateful for the many insights he had gained.

Thanks to Phoenix’s explanations, he had a clear understanding of the two artifacts.

‘And I have one request.’

Yeonwoo tilted his head. A request? Was there anything left?

‘Thanks to you, all three eggs hatched into healthy children just now. Including the youngest one you saved.’

‘Already?’ Yeonwoo thought. It seemed that if he had been a little late in retrieving the egg, it would have been a disaster.

Under the mask, Yeonwoo’s eyes curved slightly.

“Congratulations.”

‘Thank you. So, I was wondering…’

Phoenix paused for a moment before suddenly asking,

‘Could you name the youngest child?’