Chapter 57: The Reincarnated One Completes It

[Bone of the Nameless One]

[Rank: Hero] [Quality: Supreme]

The left index finger bone of the absolute being, 'Wergen Kruger,' who successfully ascended to the peak.

The body of a necromancer who traverses the boundary between life and death is, in itself, a powerful catalyst for necromantic magic.

By infusing it with mana, you can use the three necromantic spells inscribed on the index finger.

*You can use the skill 'Eye of the Boundary.'

*You can use the skill 'Call of the Dead.'

*The skill 'Eyes of the Dead' is not yet usable.

"Just one index finger bone to reach the Hero rank... It's terrifying how powerful a complete ascender can be."

A single severed finger can rival high-level equipment.

This is only because it has been separated from the main body for a long time; otherwise, it might have possessed even greater power.

"Still, this feeling... It's definitely intriguing."

Before his reincarnation, when Iseun learned about Wergen Kruger's secret, all his body parts had already been recovered.

Thus, he had only heard about it as a story, and this was the first time he saw it directly, which was more interesting than he expected.

"It seems to have been in Polmont's body for a long time... There's not a trace of corruption by dark energy."

This alone might mean that its classification as a Hero rank is an understatement, and its potential could be even greater. Seeing this, Iseun couldn't help but feel a tingling sensation all over his body.

"This... I might be able to make use of it."

It won't be easy, given that it's from a complete ascender, but it doesn't seem impossible either.

As he was pondering over the design that was starting to form in his mind, a dark red something emerged from the wall.

[Me... Long... Endured... This... Mistake...]

A voice echoed intermittently. At the same time, the dark red mass began to swell.

It continued to inflate like objects being released from a container, and eyes and teeth sprouted haphazardly on its surface, with limbs emerging and collapsing like clay.

Iseun narrowed his eyes at the sight of what was once Polmont.

"Without the item that kept it in check, it's immediately going berserk... The technology of 'Shedding' back then was not very advanced."

Given that this was from an earlier time, the level of technology was lower than what he knew.

While Iseun was observing the berserk process, hoping to gain more insights, a voice suddenly rang out.

[You...!]

Hundreds of eyes that sprouted on the flesh mass glared at him.

[I'll kill you...!]

Even as its sense of self was collapsing, the hatred was still vivid. In response, the flesh mass, which had been swelling wildly, surged like a tidal wave.

Instead of running away, Iseun stood still, watching the flesh mass that was about to engulf the entire chamber.

Kugagag!

As thousands of teeth emerged from the flesh mass, ready to tear him apart.

Jjeok!

A massive crack appeared in the space before him.

Kwaang!

With a tremendous shockwave, the flesh masses were slammed back into the wall, trembling violently.

It was a tremor of fear rather than anger. During this time, two hands emerged from the crack, grabbing the fissure and pulling it open with all their might.

Kwaddeok!

A red-haired woman, Ryu Eunha, stepped out of the dark, shadowy space and looked at Iseun with urgency.

"Student Iseun! Are you hurt...?"

"Ah, you're just in time."

Iseun greeted her calmly as if nothing had happened. However, upon seeing his appearance, Ryu Eunha's eyes trembled.

His armor was completely destroyed, and his body was covered in wounds, drenched in blood. His right hand, clutching his chest, was trembling, indicating internal injuries.

"..."

Though not critically injured, his condition was severe. Seeing this, Ryu Eunha's face hardened as if it had turned to stone.

Her expression seemed devoid of emotion, but inside, a tumult of feelings was swirling.

Just as these emotions were about to surface,

[───!!!]

A roar echoed, and the entire chamber began to shake.

The flesh mass, though devoid of self-awareness, understood the most efficient way to use its body.

Gugugung─

The cracks in the chamber, caused by the battle, were being invaded by dark red flesh masses, causing the surroundings to shake violently.

'Trying to collapse the chamber and crush me with its body...'

Iseun was inspecting the surroundings when Ryu Eunha approached with a calm expression.

"Student Iseun."

"Yes?"

"I need to move you aside for a moment to defeat this monster. Please understand."

"Ah, yes."

"Take this as well. It looks like a regular coat, but it's a Hero rank equipment, so you won't be hurt further."

Ryu Eunha took off her black jacket and wrapped it around Iseun, then grabbed his shoulders.

"I plan to consume the White Light Longsword to defeat this thing... I'm sorry I can't keep my promise to show you the process."

"Ah, that's fine..."

Ryu Eunha, focused on defeating the monster, showed no interest in savoring the White Light Longsword. Iseun felt a bit awkward.

'If she doesn't enjoy it properly, it could be problematic.'

The evaluation of the White Light Longsword this time would affect future expectations. To ensure Ryu Eunha didn't forget her original purpose, Iseun added:

"Please enjoy it."

"…Yes?"

"I made it for the department head."

Caught off guard by Iseun's words, Ryu Eunha looked at him with a slightly dazed expression before slowly nodding.

"I will savor it properly."

Ryu Eunha gathered all the remaining blood energy from her escape and amplified her mana, then immediately grabbed Iseun's body.

Looking up at the hole in the ceiling, she mustered all her strength.

"Hmm…!"

She threw Iseun up through the hole with all her might.

"Aaah───!"

Iseun's voice quickly faded into the distance.

Left alone in the chamber, Ryu Eunha pulled out the last weapon from her pocket dimension.

Wuung─

The longsword, which scattered white light even in the dark chamber.

The elegant yet assertive presence of the White Light Longsword made Ryu Eunha unconsciously swallow her saliva.

'Made for me...'

Though she knew it was just flattery, she couldn't help but feel excited.

Suppressing her swelling emotions, Ryu Eunha bit the edge of the blade just above the guard.

She had been consuming weapons without leaving any pieces, but it wasn't strictly necessary. The important part of weapon consumption was to absorb the power within.

Thus, if she wanted, a single bite would be enough.

Pa-kang!

The blade broke, and the power of the White Light Longsword melted into her mouth.

[You have consumed the weapon 'White Light Longsword.']

[The unique skill 'Dragon Soul Furnace' has been activated.]

The sharp texture of the finely honed blade, the flavor of the mana circuits inside, and the masterful taste that polished it all were intricately mixed.

The taste was so vivid that Ryu Eunha was both surprised and bewildered.

'This...'

Though it was the first time she was consuming a weapon made by Iseun, the taste evoked a sense of nostalgia.

A taste she had once enjoyed and longed for.

Confused by this inexplicable emotion, Ryu Eunha was taken aback as a change occurred.

[The first furnace 'Flame Transformation' has reached its critical point.]

[The second furnace 'Crimson Eye' has been activated.]

The heat that had been burning her red hair now descended to her eyes, turning them a deep crimson.

The heat inside her body and the boiling blood energy exceeded her expectations, and Ryu Eunha's expression showed surprise.

'All the way to Crimson Eye in one go?'

Ryu Eunha's unique skill, Dragon Soul Furnace, triggered physical changes and increased power as her blood energy reached certain levels.

While the first stage, Flame Transformation, could be activated by consuming any weapon, the second stage, Crimson Eye, was different.

It would typically require consuming at least ten top-tier rare weapons. However, the White Light Longsword alone had brought her to this stage.

'Just what...'

Confused by this unprecedented situation, Ryu Eunha was startled when the flesh mass quickly reacted to the change.

[───!!!]

Where it had been trying to kill her, it was now fleeing in fear.

The flesh mass, trying to escape by burrowing into the ground, would be a troublesome problem if it managed to get away, even in its weakened state, as it was at least a B-rank monster with regeneration.

"…Tsk."

She wanted to savor the moment, but there was no time for that.

Frowning and clicking her tongue, Ryu Eunha clenched her right fist.

Kugugung!

A tremendous activation sound echoed from inside her body, and her right fist began to glow.

The immense heat generated by the blood energy and mana melted the sleeve of her specially made shirt, and her arm, glowing red up to the elbow, shone brightly in the dark chamber.

As all the power gathered in her fist,

"Hmm…!"

A red meteor fell towards the chamber floor.

* * *

"Kuuk…!"

Iseun, confirming that the wind striking his face had stopped, immediately looked down.

The scenery of Eunwol Mountain had vanished, replaced by dark, dark energy-laden clouds.

Realizing he had been thrown far beyond the clouds, Iseun marveled at Ryu Eunha's strength and looked down.

'I wonder if she really enjoyed it.'

Compared to his pre-reincarnation self, he was lacking in equipment and physical abilities, but he had one clear advantage.

He had used the Insight of the Blacksmith to directly experience the elusive 'taste of weapons.'

'Even though I haven't tasted many, it's still better than knowing nothing at all.'

The White Light Longsword, crafted with the taste of weapons in mind, based on the stories he had heard from Ryu Eunha and his own experiences.

Thinking about Ryu Eunha consuming it now, Iseun looked down with a tense expression.

'What if it turned out to be mediocre?'

Many blacksmiths had fallen into slumps trying to cater to someone's taste, and Iseun had been through such a phase himself.

Recalling those nightmarish memories, Iseun was feeling anxious when,

Tuung─

A red light pierced through the clouds.

"That's…"

Seeing something he shouldn't have seen, Iseun's eyes widened, and he quickly covered his ears.

───!!!!!

A red flash tore through the clouds, shooting high into the sky.

Kugugung─

The terrifying explosion sound penetrated even his tightly covered hands. A shockwave reached him, but the jacket over his shoulder protected him from being swept away.

"Ugh… My eyes…"

Closing his eyes late, Iseun waited for the red afterimage to fade before looking down again.

A massive hole in the clouds, hundreds of trees uprooted by the shockwave, and several landslides had turned the area into a mess.

"Whew…"

Thinking it might have been a terrified monster or a mine attack, the terminal's defenses were activated at full power.

Looking down at the chaos, Iseun naturally focused on the epicenter of the explosion.

"Crazy…"

A massive crater hundreds of meters deep, with a small mountain peak completely vaporized.

Seeing the devastation caused by Ryu Eunha after consuming the White Light Longsword, Iseun was in disbelief.

'All this from just the White Light Longsword? It can't be…'

To achieve such power, at least the second stage, Crimson Eye, would require consuming at least ten top-tier rare weapons.

What was going on here? As Iseun was bewildered, a red meteor shot up from below.

"Going down."

Thinking he had been caught, Iseun found himself falling and landing in the center of the crater in the blink of an eye.

"Ugh…"

Feeling weaker, he was more dizzy than usual.

While Iseun was staggering in her arms, Ryu Eunha looked at him seriously.

"Student Iseun."

"Y-Yes…"

"What did you do to the White Light Longsword?"

No ordinary rare weapon could produce such power. Confused, Ryu Eunha asked, and Iseun, suppressing his nausea, replied.

"Just, I tried to match the taste."

"…Yes?"

"I thought you might like this taste. Was it not to your liking?"

"…"

Iseun's question left Ryu Eunha speechless.

The weapons she had consumed before were not bad, but they always left a sense of 'regret.'

If only it were a bit less sweet, less greasy, less spicy, less sour. There were always small regrets, but she had no way to adjust them.

'No one knows…'

She was the only one who knew the taste of weapons, and no one could understand or cater to her taste.

Thus, she had given up on finding someone who could match her taste. It was better not to think about it if she couldn't be satisfied.

"…No."

But now, a young blacksmith had just awakened her taste again.

The satisfying taste lingering in her mouth made her realize the nature of the nostalgia she had felt.

Someone who had waited a long time to understand her.

"Really delicious."

The joy of meeting such a person.

[Target 'Ryu Eunha'’s Bond Level has increased to Lv.2.]

[As the Bond Level increases, the relationship is established. The relationship with 'Ryu Eunha' is 'Empathy'.]

[Relationship: Empathy共感]

For someone who has been isolated, a person who understands them is a solid support.

Though it may be difficult to fully understand and empathize with each other, gradually expanding that connection can create a bond that no one can break.

*When the target feels empathy, a Bond Stone is created.

*When the target feels understood, the Bond Stone's maturation speed increases.

*Currently created Bond Stones: None.

Looking at the notification window in front of him, Iseun was taken aback.

'What is this…'

Matching her taste had raised the Bond Level to 2 in one go?

He had hoped for a good outcome, but he never expected it to be this easy.

As he was surprised by this unexpected situation,

"Therefore, I have a proposal for Student Iseun."

Ryu Eunha, holding Iseun, looked at him intently. Unlike her usual expression, her desire was clearly visible.

Her eyes sparkled as if she had discovered a legendary weapon, or something even greater.

Iseun naturally realized that the effect was much stronger than he had planned.

"Would you prepare my meals every day from now on?"