Became the Weapon Monopolist of the Gods-Chapter 71: Sultan’s Magic Mirror (1)

─ Store the alabaster in the relic slot.

I pushed the alabaster into the artifact slot opened near my chest.

It wasn’t just storage; it was an act of "shoving" the alabaster into the artifact slot itself.

In other words, it was like implanting the alabaster into my body.

The ‘artifact slot’ was simply placed on a higher-dimensional plane compared to reality, but it was still ‘my body.’

Even though I wasn't directly embedding it into my flesh, the effect would be the same.

Naturally, my mana would increase.

Unlike other artifacts that require me to inject mana directly to use them, the alabaster was a vessel that inherently contained its own mana.

However, as I tried to force the alabaster into the slot, it was met with incredible resistance, and the 설화석 bounced back out.

─ The implantation of the alabaster has failed.

A failure message appeared.

But my expression was bright.

‘It’s possible.’

The fact that I failed meant that it was also possible to ‘succeed.’

Previously, only a warning that it was impossible due to a low ‘rank’ had appeared.

I continued to push the alabaster into the artifact slot.

─ The implantation of the alabaster has failed.

─ The implantation of the alabaster has failed.

─ The implantation of the alabaster has failed.

─ The implantation of the alabaster has failed.

Countless failure messages repeated.

Then, at some point, I felt something click.

I gathered strength and pushed the alabaster into the artifact slot opened near my chest.

“...!”

A massive amount of mana surged in.

Whirr! Thud!

The mana of fire and ice flooded in like a tidal wave.

It was a wave of mana that my low-level hunter body could never handle.

My body should have been burned dozens of times, reduced to ash and shattered ice pieces, but it wasn’t.

The amount of mana contained within the alabaster was enormous.

However...

I absorbed the tidal wave of mana and welcomed the alabaster into the open space.

It was as though I was forcing the alabaster into a space that didn’t quite accept it, pushing it slowly in.

Whirr! Thud!

The sensation of my entire skin burning and melting, and the feeling of ice breaking, enveloped me, but I didn’t burn or freeze.

My body may have been unable to bear the mana, but the ‘artifact slot’ withstood it.

Therefore, I had to endure.

This was the process of ‘melding’ the alabaster with me.

The pain I felt now was the agony of the alabaster engraving itself into me.

The deeper the 설화석 embedded, the more my mana increased exponentially.

It was as if a flood was overflowing into an empty space.

If expressed in numbers, it would be something like this:

Choi Seo-jun

Mana: 3000

Mana: 6000

Mana: 8000 freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Mana: 12000

My mana kept increasing endlessly without end.

And when it surpassed 30,000 and was heading towards 40,000:

─ The implantation of the alabaster into the artifact slot was successful.

A success message appeared, and a new screen appeared that I had never seen before.

「Choi Seo-jun」

Mana: 38000 / 38000

The sum of the mana from the alabaster and my own mana was displayed with my name.

It was even displayed in the alabaster’s information window.

“It worked!”

I exclaimed and immediately stood up.

“I successfully fused the alabaster!”

But there was no response to my voice.

“?”

Suddenly, I realized that the world in front of me was ‘bright yet dark,’ and when I turned my gaze, I was taken aback.

“!”

In the middle of the world, a pitch-black darkness had gathered like a cocoon.

Beside it, a bright light was leaking from Jeanne’s stigmata, where she stood with her eyes closed.

─ The fate-bending woman, Vanessa Walker's power greatly increases.

─ The divine power of the redeemed girl, Jeanne d'Arc, greatly increases.

“... So, when mana spikes, it turns out like this.”

Both Vanessa, the summoned one, and Jeanne's mana total is proportional to mine.

Naturally, as my mana increased, their mana increased as well.

But the appearance of the two was almost like ‘evolution.’

I had to wait an hour for the darkness and light that had engulfed the world to subside.

When the light faded, Jeanne opened her eyes first.

“I’m sorry, Seo-jun. Have you been waiting long?”

“No, it wasn’t long.”

I didn’t realize how much time had passed while I was watching, so it was fine.

Ding!

─ A new ability is granted to the redeemed girl, Jeanne d'Arc.

[Jeanne d'Arc's Relic]

─ When in possession of Saint Jeanne d'Arc's relic, anyone within a certain distance will receive perfect divine power.

※ Jeanne d'Arc can sense the mana of anyone holding her relic.

“...!”

I widened my eyes.

It had always been possible to share divine power when holding Jeanne’s relic, even from a distance.

However, there had always been a loss of divine power during the transmission if we were far apart.

But now, with the newly added ability, that drawback was completely gone.

Moreover, being able to sense the mana of the one holding the relic meant she could also perceive things beyond her line of sight.

‘A perfect remote buff.’

Above all, Jeanne's divine power had increased significantly from before.

“Jeanne, may I check your stigmata?”

“Yes.”

I moved behind Jeanne, lifted her clothes, and examined the stigmata on her back.

Indeed, there had been a great change in Jeanne's stigmata as well.

“How is it?”

“Half of it turned white.”

Jeanne's previously blood-stained mock stigmata had half turned white.

The right wing was the wing of a white angel, while the opposite wing was a blood-red wing.

It seemed that someday it would turn into a perfect ‘stigmata.’

After confirming Jeanne’s stigmata, the darkness that had surrounded Vanessa lifted after a while.

“I made you both wait, I suppose.”

“It’s fine.”

“I just woke up too.”

Like Jeanne, Vanessa had also gained a new ability.

Ding!

─ A new ability is granted to the fate-bending woman, Vanessa Walker.

[The One Who Cuts Fate]

─ She who twists fate can cut and trim anything.

─ Even things that are considered impossible to cut can be cut by her.

“It looks like she can cut anything.”

Ssss.

Vanessa, grinning and holding a pair of scissors, looked pleased.

It felt as though the air itself was being cut, though I thought it might just be my imagination.

‘No, maybe it’s not just my imagination.’

I reread Vanessa’s ability description with a bewildered mind.

The ability to cut anything.

It’s often said that “cutting water” is impossible.

It’s an idiom meaning something can’t be done.

But according to ‘The One Who Cuts Fate,’ it seemed Vanessa could cut even water.

‘Not just water, right?’

Water, fire, slime, light, darkness...

Liquids, gases, and even ghosts.

Things typically considered impossible to cut, Vanessa could now cut as easily as cutting paper.

“Thanks to the silver offering, I’ve gained this ability. I’m grateful.”

“Seo-jun, thank you.”

“It’s because of both of you that I gained this essence, so I should be the one thanking you.”

Without Vanessa and Jeanne, I wouldn't have been able to defeat Cerberus, let alone Hydra.

So, I should be the one thanking them.

While I was expressing my gratitude to the two of them, a familiar voice rang out.

─ You seem to be having fun.

“?”

Suddenly, the voice echoed, and when I turned to look, transparent hands reached out from behind, wrapping around my neck.

A whisper followed in my ear.

─ Looks like you’ve just returned.

“... Artemis?”

I looked in surprise at Artemis, who had her head resting on my shoulder.

It was the Greek goddess Artemis, embracing me from behind.

But she hadn’t materialized in her true form. She appeared in a ‘spiritual form.’

“You startled me.”

─ Hehe, I wanted to surprise you, and I succeeded.

Seeing Artemis grin mischievously, I shook my head.

“Though, I think you should let go ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) now.”

Jeanne was staring at Artemis, who was still holding me, with an unhappy expression.

Vanessa was smiling, but there was a palpable killing intent behind her smile.

─ You children are so jealous.

Artemis clicked her tongue and let go.

“This is how you can appear now?”

─ I’m Artemis’ separated mental entity. I can only do this on occasion.

The flow of time between Greece and the modern world is different.

So, for Artemis to come to the present, she had to separate part of her spirit and send it.

If she came directly as her true form, it would take a long time just for communication.

Additionally, if Artemis wanted to descend physically, she would need a vessel to embody her, a human host.

‘A vessel would be hard to find.’

Though it was amazing that Artemis could appear in this spiritual form, it was still remarkable.

“Since you’re here, why don’t you join us for a look around?”

We were going to take a stroll to unwind, so we left for the streets with Artemis.

We toured the city, watching cars go by, and even went to a barbecue restaurant and ordered some beef.

“It’s so good after such a long time.”

Jeanne smiled brightly, savoring the soybean paste soup after half a year.

Vanessa, though silent, seemed to be in a good mood as well.

During her time in Greece, we couldn’t taste modern food.

Though there was some food purchased at the antique store, it was quite limited.

─ Oh, the food here looks delicious too.

Artemis seemed fascinated by the Hanwoo beef grilling on the charcoal.

However, since she was a spiritual entity, she couldn’t taste it.

While we were having our late dinner of beef, the TV in the restaurant blared an unexpected announcement.

[Breaking news!]

[Two days ago, the Marquis of Cunningham’s family, who had entered to conquer the Sultan’s Magic Realm, has failed in the conquest.]

The news was broadcasted through the restaurant TV.

‘The Marquis of Cunningham failed?’

Not long ago, it was the Marquis of Cunningham who purified the cursed sword Idyus from me.

The general public had believed that it was only a matter of time before someone as close to S-rank as the Marquis of Cunningham would conquer the Magic Realm.

But the results broke everyone’s expectations.

The Marquis of Cunningham’s defeat.

That wasn’t the only issue.

[The Sultan's Magic Realm is still expanding, and its entrance is being observed in various parts of the world.]

[Breaking news just in! The entrance to the Magic Realm has been spotted on the west coast of the Korean Peninsula!]

Disaster had struck.