Chapter 84

Chapter 9. Return (7)

It was a completely unexpected and unforeseen request.

Yeon-woo's eyes widened slightly.

"Is it really okay? But—"

‘When you give a name, you worry that the existence will be bound, right?’

Yeon-woo nodded silently.

When he named the sa-gwi, he felt that giving a name to a spiritual being meant confining it to a mold.

Hwan-su, though different in kind from the sa-gwi, was also a spiritual being. Yeon-woo didn't know what would happen if he gave it a name.

But Phoenix burst into a light laugh, as if to say not to worry.

‘There's no need to worry about that. The child is already deeply connected to you and also really likes you. If you give it a name, it will like you even more. And—’

Phoenix's voice was gentle.

‘It will also benefit you, and there will be no harm at all. It might be like gilding the lily, but being spiritually connected to a divine beast means that your soul’s ‘rank’ will also rise accordingly.’

And that gentleness warmed Yeon-woo's heart.

‘For a practitioner who aims to ascend to a higher level and become a greater being, it will be a great help in the future.’

Could he refuse after such words?

In the end, Yeon-woo accepted the request.

"I understand."

* * *

Like all animals, the newborn was very cute.

‘My child, though the youngest, has outstanding potential. It will grow up to be great in the future.’

Yeon-woo was fidgety as he looked at the baby phoenix nestled in his arms, chirping away.

It seemed so fragile, as if it would break at the slightest touch.

Yet, the little one was so happy, jumping around in Yeon-woo's embrace, and he had to be careful not to drop it.

‘Even you, who seem so rigid, have your difficulties, it seems.’

Phoenix watched Yeon-woo and the baby with an amused look.

Yeon-woo gently cradled the baby and stroked its head.

‘It’s warm.’

Despite being made of fire, it wasn't hot. It was so warm that he didn't want to let it go.

The baby chirped away.

‘Now, give it a name.’

[Phoenix is requesting that you name its third child. Will you give it a name?]

After looking at the baby and pondering, Yeon-woo finally decided on a name.

"Chik-chik."

[Will you name it ‘Chik-chik’?]

As Yeon-woo was about to nod at the confirmation message, he suddenly felt a strange gaze.

‘...’

Turning his head, he saw Phoenix looking at him with a dubious expression.

"Is there a problem?"

Yeon-woo tilted his head, his expression serious.

‘...No, nothing. Well, that too. Hmm. It’s fine. Ah. It will be fine.’

Yeon-woo was puzzled by Phoenix's awkward cough, but the message was already being confirmed.

[The third child of Phoenix has been named ‘Chik-chik’. A connection with Chik-chik has been established. Chik-chik’s influence has become strong. Affinity has greatly increased.]

[Affinity with fire has increased by 50.]

[Affinity with wind has increased by 50.]

[A contract with a divine beast has been made. Due to the influence of the divine beast, the wariness of all other hwan-su, except for magical beasts, will decrease.]

[An achievement that few can easily accomplish has been achieved. Additional merit points have been provided.]

[2,000 merit points have been obtained.]

[1,500 additional merit points have been obtained.]

...

Yeon-woo could feel something surging within him.

It was hard to describe, but as Phoenix had said, the spiritual connection with the baby phoenix seemed to have raised his soul’s ‘rank’.

And—

[A growth in the soul has been confirmed. The interrupted succession process has resumed. 99.1%, 99.2%...]

[Current progress: 99.5%]

The succession process was also affected. He could feel his body, the vessel, adjusting to the grown soul.

Now, only 0.5% remained.

It seemed the succession process would soon be complete.

Yeon-woo savored the pleasure of his grown body while gently stroking Chik-chik's head.

Chik! Chik!

* * *

Pfft—

After confirming his body's growth, Yeon-woo began rigorous training to fully adapt.

He also needed to become completely familiar with the black bracelet and Aegis.

Thanks to this, he was able to prepare several combination techniques.

The combination technique of the black blade and heat, which he had developed earlier, now combined black energy and heat, boasting even greater firepower. The combination of combat will and the goddess's spear blade enhanced each other, making the acceleration smoother.

The sa-gwi were also organized into a small unit centered around Bu, Nor, and Kar.

Due to the learning effect, even those whose ranks had dropped were now performing their roles well.

Without specific instructions from Yeon-woo, they acted autonomously, drawing in wraiths from various places and developing various abilities.

Of course, there were still some challenges.

"How am I supposed to handle this?"

Yeon-woo examined Aegis, lost in thought.

The nine-layered petal shield was not just a simple shield.

As a divine weapon, its usage was quite different from a regular shield.

Yeon-woo tried to figure out how to use it, but it was not easy. No matter how much he tried to sense it with his Dragon Eye, he couldn't get more detailed information.

However, by handling it in various ways, he was able to understand a few things.

‘It’s surprisingly light.’

Considering it had nine layers and was made of a unique material, it was almost weightless.

‘It can also be separated.’

The nine-layered shield was both one and nine.

It could form a large protective barrier by extending the same-sized shields in all directions from a small central one, and it could also be separated into individual shields as needed.

Yeon-woo speculated that this was to handle attacks from all directions by freely controlling the nine layers.

‘Should I infuse it with mana?’

Yeon-woo activated his mana circuit and infused Aegis with mana.

Zing—

Aegis lightly vibrated, and a tingling sensation connected Yeon-woo to something invisible.

It felt like being connected by an invisible thread, similar to the connection with the sa-gwi.

The difference was that it seemed he could control it with willpower alone.

‘Is this telekinesis?’

He didn't understand the principle, but it seemed to work well.

Yeon-woo placed Aegis on the ground and extended his hand, infusing it with the will to make it float.

Aegis trembled slightly, like a UFO preparing to take off, and slowly rose into the air.

Infusing more mana strengthened the connection, and it quickly rose to head level.

‘This is easier than I thought.’

He might find it easier to use than expected.

If he could control its position with willpower alone, it would be the best possible scenario.

His younger brother had often said that handling unique items was very difficult.

Perhaps Aegis was an exception.

However, Yeon-woo soon had to change his mind.

When he tried to separate Aegis into nine individual pieces, the connections also split into nine, and his concentration immediately scattered.

Clang, clang!

The nine Aegises clattered to the ground with a loud metallic sound.

‘To control all nine, I need to focus on each one separately?’

Thinking this, he tried to move the separated Aegises again, but they only trembled slightly and didn't budge.

This time, he focused on the nearest one and infused it with willpower.

Whirr, whirr, whirr—

It rose smoothly, just like the first time.

Yeon-woo clenched his teeth and extended his left hand, shifting his gaze to another one.

Two Aegises floated in the air.

‘This is harder than I thought.’

Yeon-woo moistened his dry lower lip with his tongue, trying to control the two shields freely.

However, focusing on one made the other lose focus, and vice versa, making the movements less smooth.

It was like trying to draw a circle with one hand and a square with the other simultaneously.

Handling all nine would be even more challenging.

‘To use all of them, I need to divide my consciousness.’

Yeon-woo finally realized how difficult it was to use Aegis.

It was a divine weapon that could easily block most attacks and even cast petrification magic, but it required excellent concentration and control to use it skillfully.

‘Of course, it’s not easy.’

Moreover, during a battle, he wouldn't just be handling Aegis.

He would also need to use his arms and legs and devise strategies to deal with enemies, which would be mentally taxing.

He needed to have a keen eye to grasp the battlefield at a glance.

‘Indeed, the goddess of war and wisdom.’

The fortunate thing for Yeon-woo was that his attributes included quick judgment and calculation with the Adamantine Body and the ability to remain calm with the Cold Blood trait.

Although it was difficult at first, he thought he could control a few of them with enough practice.

Moreover, he had excellent senses.

With this, he felt he had a good grasp of how to use it and just needed to practice.

"Bu, Nor, Kar."

Rrrr—

At Yeon-woo's call, the three sa-gwi, who were far away, turned their heads.

Initially, they were very afraid of Aegis, but now they seemed more familiar with it, showing less caution.

"I'm going to do some simple training now."

Kur?

The sa-gwi tilted their heads.

"You just need to scatter around and come back when I signal to attack me. Use a hit-and-run strategy."

The sa-gwi shook their heads.

How could they do that?

Despite their terrifying appearance, their actions were surprisingly cute.

Yeon-woo couldn't help but smile.

"Don't worry. I'll only focus on blocking you. I'll keep the Gorgon's head separate, so you don't need to worry."

Although the black bracelet and Aegis didn't have a good synergy, after a few practice sessions, he found that there was no significant conflict as long as he didn't maximize their functions.

He could control them sufficiently for practice.

The three monsters finally understood and bowed, scattering in all directions.

Yeon-woo activated his enhanced perception skill when he could barely sense their presence.

Whoosh—

A flood of information poured into his mind, and with the activation of Gyes's Eye, his perception range continued to expand.

Yeon-woo pressed his aching head and first connected his consciousness to two of the nine Aegis shields.

Instantly, he felt a slight dizziness.

He clicked his tongue.

‘Maintaining the perception range while controlling Aegis. It’s much harder than I thought.’

Using a divine weapon wouldn't be easy.

He tried to regain his composure.

"Come."

Pfft! Pfft!

The sa-gwi started moving.

He quickly moved the two Aegis shields in the direction the sa-gwi were running.

* * *

Through the training with the monsters, Yeon-woo learned a few more things.

First, the strength.

He already knew it was solid, but its shock absorption rate was also excellent.

Bulka, with its strength capable of tearing a human apart with one hand, collided with full force, but Aegis didn't even tremble slightly.

Defending was also easy.

Since they could move freely in the air according to his will, placing them in blind spots to guard against potential ambushes was very convenient.

‘Ultimately, if I can control them properly, they will be the best.’

In this regard, Giant Nor was the most suitable opponent.

It had very quick movements, leaping high to reach the treetops and quickly moving to other places by kicking the tree trunks.

It darted around the forest with such freedom that it seemed weightless, always targeting Yeon-woo.

Therefore—

The training method was simple.

First, he used one Aegis to deal with the combined attacks of the sa-gwi within the expanded perception range. Once he became proficient, he gradually increased the number.

Controlling one wasn't that difficult; he just needed to send his consciousness to it.

However, controlling two or more was clearly more challenging.

‘I can control up to three with great effort, but I can freely control only two.’

Yeon-woo didn't force himself to increase the number.

Eventually, with practice, the number would naturally increase.

Instead, when he became familiar with controlling three, he started moving himself.

‘My greatest advantage is mobility and agility. I need to use Aegis in the same way.’

Yeon-woo, who had no intention of giving up his strengths, moved as quickly as possible.

He kicked the ground to catch Giant Nor and sent Aegis flying in various directions.

It felt like another ‘self’ was separated and darting around in different places.

He needed to view the battlefield from an omniscient third-person perspective.

Of course, it was not an easy task.

His consciousness scattered in various places, making his mind spin.

Diverse information mixed together, causing dizziness and nausea, blurring his vision.

However, Yeon-woo didn't lower the intensity of his training.

He focused more on the three Aegises flying around and thoroughly separated the information processing areas of his brain into the main and auxiliary.

His mana circuit rotated wildly, overheating and making his body hot.

But Yeon-woo kept running and running.

Whoosh—

* * *

Yeon-woo returned to where the hwan-su egg was located only at dawn.

Entering a nearby pond, he felt his fatigue melt away.

Perhaps it was because he had used his mana circuit to its limit for the first time after consuming the perennial snow ginseng and the Akasha snake's inner core in the tutorial.

He could finally feel what it was like for the mana circuit to be completely empty.

And when he rested, his mana quickly replenished.

The ease of using mana.

This was perhaps the greatest advantage of the Adamantine Body.

‘I need to hurry and complete the remaining succession process.’

Although the succession process was almost complete, Yeon-woo had been stuck in a plateau for some time.

He guessed that some kind of trigger was needed to break this.

‘If I keep pushing, I’ll find a way eventually.’

Yeon-woo lay down, feeling his body grow heavy, and looked at his status window.

‘The effects were better than I expected.’

[Chae Yeon-woo]

Attributes: Cold Blood, Adamantine Body

Titles: Monster Hunter

* Physical Abilities

Strength: 235 (+23)

Agility: 245 (+29)

Stamina: 239 (+14)

Mana: 320 (+22)

* Skills

Dragon Eye (25.1%), Enhanced Perception (43.2%), Time Prediction (1.0%), Physical Resistance (30.1%), Combat Will (25.5%), Batol's Blood Sword (15.5%), Heat (52.1%), Swift Step (39.1%), Mana Circuit (18.2%)

Yeon-woo had changed a lot since he first entered the tower.

His rapid growth rate was astonishing, even in the long history of the tower.

Moreover, he had excellent equipment.

His stats were far beyond those of