< Reunion (2) >
Dubert Big Hand.
He was the ruler of Riverhoun, a kingdom of dwarves in the north of the continent of Tibern.
Riverhoun, the kingdom of caves and underground tunnels that produces Tibern’s best weapons and equipment items.
The kingdom of Riverhoun, which prospered day by day under the rule of the great dwarf Big Hand clan, collapsed due to the invasion of the Cranids.
“Is the kingdom falling? I heard that dwarves were strong.”
When Sang-woo asked, Duvert nodded.
“It was my downfall. We underestimated Cranid too much. They said that with the weapons we made and the entrances to the underground caves, we would be able to stop them. But they were pushed in endless quantities…”
Dubert gathered the remaining dwarves and retreated to the Urencia Empire.
Dubert became the king of a defeated country that lost its territory and people.
Still, because of his and the dwarves’ excellent blacksmithing skills, they were treated with utmost respect within the Urentian Empire.
“So that’s how it happened… Then, Mr. Berschael is also from Tibern?”
Aria nodded at Sangwoo’s question.
“yes. that’s right. I am an elf.”
“Ah, somehow, you said you were beautiful, so it must be because you’re an elf.”
Sang-woo calmly accepted Aria’s words that she was an elf.
In fact, Arya’s unrealistic appearance was an elf itself, so it fit well with the image of an elf.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
After that, Arya’s story was similar.
Elves who migrated to the Urencia Empire due to the invasion of Cranid.
Arya was a high elf and a talented archmage, but she came to Earth at the suggestion of Lucas.
“Is it Lucas?”
Sang-woo was puzzled.
Why is Lucas’s name mentioned here?
“If it’s Lucas, you mean the jumper? Chairman of the Enlighten Group?”
“that’s right. That’s him. He came over to the planet Tibern and called us.”
Aria took the horse instead of Duvert.
It was a shock.
“Well, since Heritage is an affiliate of the Enlighten Group, I thought it might have something to do with it… So, does Lucas know about the planet Tibern too?”
“Yes. He was probably the first person on Earth to know about Tibern. Except for River.”
“Huh…”
Lucas couldn’t understand something inside.
He still had a secret.
“Is it very strange? Mr. Lucas knew about Mr. Duver, Mr. Arya, and Tibern, but my master didn’t say anything about him. For the last 30 years.”
Sangwoo pointed out sharply.
Arya replied to that.
“Mr. Lucas thoroughly kept quiet about our identities in order to protect Duver-nim and me. Because of this, Raven-nim probably didn’t know about our existence. We didn’t even know that Sword Seeker was Raven. I’ve only heard the name of Sword Seeker, but I’ve never seen it in person…”
-That’s right. I too have spent a long time healing my injuries since arriving on Earth and haven’t been to the city much since Cataclysm ended. I just fought the monsters while looking for the strong. So, I was a little dark with the news.
“As expected… and maybe Mr. Lucas didn’t know that Raven-nim was from Tibern.”
Upon hearing it, it seemed that Lucas only knew that Raven was a sword seeker, but did not know the details.
Sang-woo agreed.
“I guess so. But why did Lucas bring you all to Earth?” “Because he needed our help.”
This is what she said.
The Urencia Empire had been locked in a barrier for quite a long time.
However, as heterogeneous tribes gathered from all over the world were concentrated in the Urencia Empire, resources and food were running out.
At that time, Lucas appeared and asked for equipment and magic in exchange for resources.
“That’s how we helped humanity by providing magic and equipment, and instead received food and weapon mercenary support from Lucas. I am still receiving it. He is a rare hero among modern humans.”
“Right. They say most humans are selfish, but he’s not. Seeing how he works for humanity all the time.”
Aria and Dubert gave Lucas a storm of praise.
Hearing that, Sang-woo wondered if he had misunderstood Lucas.
‘that’s right. There may be nice people, and you may come to me with goodwill first, but I think I hit the wall too much. It seems that the Seven Deadly Sins are also being collected to reduce the crime rate… Then should I accept the offer to collect the Seven Deadly Sins? No, let’s put this on hold.’
Even when viewed objectively, everything Lucas did was a boon to humanity.
So Sang-woo thought he had to revise the image he had of Lucas in his head.
Of course, I didn’t fully believe it.
Sang-woo found out about each other’s circumstances.
Now reunited, they were asking each other questions.
“By the way, when did you come over to Earth?”
– It’s been about 30 years. When I woke up after fighting Reaver, I was on Earth.
“That’s right…. After fighting River then, everyone died, so I thought Raven was dead too. Everyone in the Urencia Empire.”
-Everybody died… So Dural is also dead?
“Dural… That child is dead too.”
Dural, the son of Duver, was the strongest warrior of the Dwarf clan who wielded the Earth Quaker, one of the elemental swords.
-The great star has abandoned… So, did Earthquaker’s life come to an end?
“Not yet. Because I learned swordsmanship when I was young. There is just a problem.”
– What’s the matter?
“Earthquaker is breaking.”
While listening to the conversation between the two, Sang-woo suddenly remembered something.
“Could it be that the sword you were trying to repair is an Earthquake?”
Sang-woo asked, thinking of a huge sword with a dark blade.
Duvert nodded.
“Right. That sword is an Earthquake. It is the treasure of our Dwarf clan with the attributes of the earth.”
“Oh my God… that thing is completely broken. I don’t think it will be difficult to repair unless you melt it down and remake it.”
At those words, Duver sighed deeply.
“That’s why we are trying various methods by mobilizing all metallurgy and mana engineering. Of course, it hasn’t worked so far.”
The sword will shatter if it is twisted even once, so you have to be careful.
It was only then that Sang-woo could understand why Dubert wanted his equipment copying ability so much.
“I need to level up my Clone Magic skill quickly. Make several copies of the equipment.”
“Oh, how many times can I do it when the level rises?”
“Since the cooldown of clone magic is reduced, I can do more quickly.”
It seemed that the cooldown would disappear when I hit max level.
But I wasn’t sure, so I didn’t bother talking about it.
Instead, I was curious about the Earthquaker sword method.
“By the way, is the Earth Quaker sword method a sword that deals with the earth attribute?”
“Right. It is a sword technique that deals with the properties of earth and metal.”
-It is said to be the strongest among heavy swords.
Raven also chimed in.
It’s a swordsmanship approved by the master.
Sang-woo became greedy.
“Then, maybe I can learn that swordsmanship too?” “Earth Quaker?”
Dubert was taken aback by Sang-woo’s bold question.
“No. It is the vision of the Dwarves, especially the Big Hand clan. It cannot be passed on to the outside world.”
“Hmm… that’s unfortunate.”
– It’s hard to decide whether the elemental sword is superior or inferior, but the Stormbringer’s sword technique is also amazing, disciple. So don’t be too greedy.
“Yes, I understand.”
After that, conversations to share information with each other came and went. The fact
that the Empire of Urencia is still intact and
that the River disappeared after the decisive battle with the River, and
that after the day the River disappeared, all the members of the Urentian Empire awakened and obtained the ‘system’.
“Fortunately, he is unharmed. Rather, after that fierce battle, everyone in Urencia awakened. The status window appeared and I was able to use my psychic powers. Do you call it a ‘system’ on Earth? I am also a system user.”
“me too.”
Arya nodded.
“But no one knows who created the system or why it came into existence. It seems like it was made by a divine being…”
“That’s right. Thanks to the system, people were able to become stronger and survive against the Cranids. But on the other hand, if the system disappears, all of humanity will lose its power. That’s why the dependence on the system has increased. I think this is a bad phenomenon
.”
She gave a negative opinion.
Sangwoo tilted his head.
“Still, aren’t there more pure functions? So far, there has been no talk of losing the ability due to losing the system.”
“You don’t know what people do. So I am developing my pure magic skills without relying on the system.”
And Raven interrupted their conversation.
– Arya is right. Systems, while convenient, are like poisoned apples. The more you rely on the system in that you don’t know when it will disappear, the bigger the wall for growth will be. So, disciple. You need to shed some of your dependence on the system.
“Oh yes. All right.”
Sang-woo also agreed because he had some sympathy.
Then, an idea suddenly came to mind.
“Maybe the system… isn’t it created by Cranid?”
“Cranid? Absolutely no way.”
“that’s right. From an invading position, it doesn’t make sense to give prey a platform for growth to counterattack.”
“Hmm… I see. So who made it But are you sure it was the Cranid race that invaded Earth?”
“Almost? It’s similar to when Tibern was invaded. At first, heterogeneous monsters that have nothing to do with Cranid flocked to it, but after encroaching to some extent, Cranids attacked in earnest. Perhaps the monsters that appeared on Earth are creatures of different species or other worlds that have been encroached on by Cranid and turned into monsters .
It’s because Cranid has the ability to encroach on an area, turn it into a dungeon, and produce monsters. That’s why I think they’re sending the encroaching alien races into monsters and sending them out as scouts.”
“It’s a terrible ability.”
It’s a skirmisher.
If Arya is right, it means that Cataclysm was nothing more than a scouting battle.
‘Ah, that’s a reconnaissance battle? Probably not.’
Sang-woo tried to shake off the negative thoughts.
Arya’s words continued.
“Yes. That’s why we all work so hard to drive out Cranid.”
Strengthening humanity to drive out Cranid.
And to support the planet Tibern with that money.
That was the reason Aria and Dubert worked hard at Heritage to create equipment and skill spheres.
“The situation on planet Tibern must be serious.”
“The kingdom imprisoned in a barrier is suffering from food shortages every day. And as the war lasted for decades, people’s hearts were devastated. In addition, as a lot of cultures from the Earth were introduced and various races were mixed, much of Tibern’s unique culture was destroyed.”
“Ah…”
Sang-woo felt sorry for him.
So I felt the urge to help.
‘I have nothing to do now, so should I help the planet Tibern with my alter ego?’ Now that I have the Overmind skill, there are no restrictions on accessing my alter ego.
Judging from the fact that it is maintained even after going through the portal, you will probably be able to control the alter ego even if you go to the planet Tibern.
Sangwoo opened his mouth.
“Could I go over to Tibern and help you fight? Catch those cranids. And I think Master wants to go back to his hometown too.”
At that, Arya and Dubert looked at each other.
“Hmm, going to planet Tibern is top secret. No one knows about it, except for a few high-ranking members of the Enlighten Group and the Tibern portal management staff of the US government. That’s why we can’t decide arbitrarily.”
“Still, Sang-woo’s alter ego would be of great help. I’ll check with Lucas first.”
“All right. If not, what can I do?”
In fact, Sang-woo could have asked Lucas directly, but helping himself was a bit cumbersome, so Sang-woo felt, ‘If it doesn’t work, I won’t do it’.
so the conversation is over.
Sang-woo, who learned all about their story, lowered his head.
“Everyone, it must have been a big secret, but thank you for telling me.”
“It’s okay if you’re Raven’s disciple.”
“yes. Because he can be trusted.”
Trust Raven, so tell Sang-woo a secret.
‘To believe that you are so trusted by them even though you are not from the same tribe… What kind of person were you, Master?’
All he knew was that he was named Kaizel Raven and that he was the guardian sword of the Urencia Empire.
It was only that he possessed tremendous strength as the successor to the Stormbringer swordsmanship.
Sang-woo wanted to know more about Raven.
How he fought and grew.
‘Let’s ask about that later when we’re alone with the master. The atmosphere has become heavy, so let’s switch things up.’
He brought out the original purpose of finding the Heritage headquarters.
“Anyway, everyone. As we talked, I fell for Samcheonpo, but in fact, there is a different reason for coming here. Master’s sword was broken, so repairing the sword…”
Sang-woo opened the sub-space.
Then, a 2m steel coffin suddenly protruded from the subspace.
It was Iron Maiden.
“Here it is. I picked this up at the Vatican, right? I want to learn how to use this or sell it, can you confirm?”
Sang-woo brought Iron Maiden from the Vatican terrorism investigation site.
“What is this?”
Looking at the Iron Maiden, a female iron coffin, Dubert was curious.
Sangwoo shook his head.
“I don’t even know the exact name. The appraisal skill doesn’t work… It’s just an item used by a vampire I met when fighting the Vatican.”
Sang-woo explained how Elizabeth used the iron crown and what effect it had.
“Oh, it can be summoned, the size changes freely, and it binds the opponent. It even has a dispel function.”
Dubert responded that he was interested.
Then he put his hand on the iron coffin.
[Emotion]
In his hand, a special emotion skill that was different from the general emotion unfolded.
Then
───────────────
< Iron Maiden >
◎Origin: A medieval European torture instrument created by the original vampire Bathory Elizabeth.
◎Material: Steel of resentment (Steel reinforced with the evil spirits of the spirits who were killed unjustly)
◎Function:
-It usually stays around the user in a fluid state. -When used, it rises from the ground and materializes to bind the target.
-The size can be enlarged and reduced (minimum 1m ~ maximum 10m)
-The energy of grudge in Iron Maiden interferes with its magical power.
-Inflicts mental attacks such as confusion, fear, and nightmares on a target who is completely restrained.
-Wound aggravation and excessive bleeding effects are applied when stabbed by the inner awl.
-Resentment may follow the user who handles Iron Maiden.
– The more blood it contains, the stronger the effect of imposing strength and elasticity.
◎How to make: Absorb the blood and thoughts of 1,000 people who died painfully in normal steel to create steel of resentment. After that…
……
───────────────
Iron Maiden’s detailed information window came to mind.
Dubert, who was reading the information window, let out a sigh.
“Iron Maiden… this is a terrifying thing.”
He explained the origins and effects of Iron Maiden to Sang-woo.
Sang-woo, who heard the explanation, was also frightened.
“Whoa… This thing is absolutely cursed.”
Sang-woo had clearly experienced the effects of Iron Maiden while dealing with Elizabeth, so he was well aware of how fraudulent this restraint function was.
So, I wanted to use it myself, but it was a very sinister item.
“I can’t use this. Resentment follows the user… Oh, I wonder if I can use it on my alter ego. Shall we stick it on Envy, label the monster with jealousy, lock it up, and pull it out for a long time? Hmm…”
Dubert opened his mouth while Sang-woo was thinking about how to use Iron Maiden.
“What you want is Iron Maiden’s restraint function?”
“Hmm… Actually, it’s not like that. I just brought it because I wanted to use the items I picked up.”
“Hmm, so what about this?”
“Which one?”
“I’m going to melt Iron Maiden and make a weapon.”
< Reunion (2) > End