Chapter 212. Ego Sword (3)

The shattered walls. Mana scattered wildly in every direction. It wasn't hard to deduce that Kim Giryeo had fought the Beast. And if he were to list all the evidence, the traces they left behind were painfully obvious.

But something was strange. The blind man who survived looked strangely clean. He had fought the Beast—such a monstrous creature—and yet, not a single scratch remained on his body. The only imperfection you could find on this impregnable hunter was probably the wrinkles in his suit from the intense movements.

"..."

Haseong pressed his eyes to clear his blurry vision. After a few blinks, his mind gradually became clearer.

"Ah..."

Haseong quickly realized that this was not the first time his consciousness had returned.

It was like the sensation of pounding a drum full of objects. Or the sound of a metal hammer striking concrete. Or even the vibrations similar to footsteps echoing in a building's emergency staircase.

Clank, clank, clank.

He had definitely heard a series of loud noises while lying unconscious. At the time, he was too weak to open his eyelids, so he could only passively absorb the auditory information. But upon reflection, the sounds he had heard must have been the clashes of S-rank weapons. While he had been unconscious, they had fought, and this was already proven by several pieces of evidence.

Clank!

Then how intense was Kim Giryeo's battle with the Beast been? Before the previous sounds had even fully dissipated, a new, explosive burst of destruction had quickly followed.

"Whoo."

In reality, what Jung Haseong had heard was not the clash of powerful opponents, but the sound of an alien being mercilessly beaten to the point of pity.

"Since it wasn't the sound of flesh being sliced but rather the dull thud of weapons, does that mean that Hunter managed to block all of Beast's attacks..."

It was hard for the hero, with his eyes closed, to grasp the truth. And so, Haseong solidified his misunderstanding as he looked at Giryeo's back.

That blind hunter was truly a master of an extraordinary realm. A battle against the unprecedented powerhouse who had cleaved the Nuckelavee in half. And yet, the man kneeling in the distance remained silent, as if cooling the heat from his body. Even upon closer inspection, there wasn't a single noticeable wound. Without a doubt, it was his overwhelming victory.

"..."

But then, at that moment. The man, who had been completely still, finally showed some movement. He took a deep breath, slowly expanding his chest, then repeated the motion, as if practicing a deep inhale. Soon after, he stood up from his position.

Srmmg.

The S-rank hunter, holding [Sunset Sword], adjusted his crooked tie with his free hand as he walked slowly toward Haseong. Then, towards the fallen Haseong, he spoke words eerily similar to a suggestion he'd once made.

"Can't you get up? Do you want me to help you?"

Although it was clearly a different person who had experienced hearing this line before, Haseong couldn't shake the feeling that this situation was oddly familiar as he watched Giryeo's actions. And within mere seconds, the reason surfaced in his mind.

"I'm... fine."

He had experienced this exact scene in the past. A fallen S-rank hunter, defeated and miserable, and the gaze of the one looking down upon such a hero. Kim Giryeo had spoken with the same calm tone when he had slammed the ranking No.1 into the ground with a metal career. Honestly, back then, that person had felt like an enigmatic monster whose motives he couldn't understand, but now, having reached this point, he finally realized.

It was all for you.

Korea's fourth S-rank had always spoken the truth. Even under the unfavorable condition of having to conceal his rank due to the association's orders—despite the clear risk of hostility from others—he had consistently acted selflessly.

He stopped the number 1 from self-harming, and didn't hold back on his straightforward words.

He was dispatched to Japan's top-ranking gate in place of someone who was supposed to protect Korea. Or his arm... his arm...

"...I can get up on my own."

Haseong, lost in complicated thoughts, pressed his hands against the ground and pushed himself up. His recovery seemed to have progressed enough that his muscles finally moved as he willed. He staggered but managed to stand upright with difficulty. Seeing this, Giryeo spoke.

Just in case, they needed to leave quickly. He urged Haseong to get out of the dungeon as soon as possible.

"Yes."

And a few minutes later, when they finally reached the gate connected to Korea...

"Wait a minute."

Giryeo suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Come to think of it, there's something I need to tell you."

At this, the country's number one hunter also stopped moving and focused on the conversation.

"To be precise, it's a favor. Jung Haseong, could you keep this matter a secret once we step outside?"

"This matter... you mean...?"

"Just everything from start to finish. We saw nothing in this dungeon. Let's just say we happened to meet inside while surveying the place and then left the gate without gaining anything."

So he's telling him to keep quiet about encountering the Beast itself. For the record, the reason Kim Giryeo brought this up was because he was concerned about Kang Changho's misconduct. A human Skill Stone sneaking into a dungeon at dawn? And even engaging in combat with an oversees S-rank inside? If the truth is revealed, it won't be easy to maintain the contract.

"Haseong-ah, to be honest, I was the one who saved your life this time, wasn't I? Hm? So, you can at least do this much for me, right?"

Giryeo reminded Haseong of the favor he had done, asking for silence from the witness. However, this suggestion took on a completely different meaning for Haseong. The hero was unaware of the contract that had been placed on the fourth S-rank, so his interpretation of the request was quite different.

"Well, if it were to be revealed that he was the hunter who killed the Beast..."

The world would erupt into chaos. Kim Giryeo must be trying to cover up the incident to avoid attracting international attention. With a certain misunderstanding in mind, Haseong nodded. In any case, he also agreed with the idea of covering up the incident.

The fight had undoubtedly started with the beast's unprovoked attack. However, with no less than three S-rank Awakeners involved in the incident, the beast's death would inevitably drag the Koreans here into a long and grueling interrogation. He might be in trouble, but was justified or not wouldn't matter much. There was even a real possibility that Kim Giryeo could be held accountable for murder.

"Whoo."

Haseong was a rare altruist, but his heart wasn't wide enough to defend even a psychopath who had tried to kill him. So, he accepted Giryeer's suggestion to remain silent about the beast's death without much hesitation.

"Understood. I'll do as you say."

"Thank you."

"And if we're going to hide the fact that a fight took place here... I think we need to, uh, tidy ourselves up a bit..."

"Yeah. I was just about to say that. If you're okay with it, let's take some time to recover here before heading back to Korea."

A brief peace followed soon after. Haseong, following Giryeo's lead, leaned against a pillar near the exit, taking a sip of the high-level recovery potion that was left in his item box. After drinking a few more sips of the potion, he quietly lifted his head.

"Excuse me..."

What followed was a brief question.

"But there's one thing I'd like to ask..."

"What?"

"...How exactly did you use my sword?"

Even at this very moment, the crimson weapon was quietly held in the hands of the hunter looking down at him. The reason Haseong had been standing in this spot, they would have likely assumed because of the mysterious flash of light that had burned the Beast to death—it had acted as a stimulant. As a result, he could clearly remember the scene of the [Sunset Sword] erupting with light. However, most of the other details remained a mystery to him, which led him to ask this question.

"And what kind of ability was it? I was out of my mind, but I felt intuitively that Hunter Kim had used the sword's function."

In response, Giryeo answered.

"I don't know."

Of course, it was a lie. The legendary weapon possessed by the hero was a magical tool based on Alphaurin. So how could he possibly reveal the truth here?

[Yahoo~!]

[It's been a while since I used magic, and all the rust is falling off! Master! Let's have another fight!]

[And if it's not too much to ask, could you give me a name while we're at it? I don't ask for much—just something simple yet dazzling, classic yet modern.]

Your [Sunset Sword] is actually an ego sword with a chatty and frivolous personality. And I was able to utilize its abilities because I am an extraterrestrial being who understands its native language.

Even though it was merely a few words of explanation, a certain man couldn't bring himself to say it. In truth, it was the Achilles' heel of his very soul.

"I don't know anything either. I was just swinging the sword, and then the light burst out. Sorry, but I have no idea about the activation conditions or the exact effects..."

And so, Giryeo had no choice but to give a vague explanation of the situation. However, the reaction from the other party was unexpected.

"—He says he doesn't know. But I... I could tell just by looking."

The hero's hero, leaning against the wall to rest, quietly pondered. His expression hardened, and his gaze grew serious, as if he had just realized something.

A mere Earthling having a hunch about it? But Alphaurin was entirely beyond his range of hearing—how?

"As expected, the Sunset Sword is..."

A moment later. Just as someone awkwardly rolled their eyes.

"...It must have been a sword that selects its wielder."

Jung Haseong closed his eyes and pondered calmly. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Was it called Excalibur? Anyway, it was like something stuck in a rock waiting for its owner.

A sword of steel that couldn't be wielded by anyone other than its destined owner. Treasures whose potential varied depending on the user were not uncommon even in Earth's legends. Because of this, appraisers had once speculated that certain abilities might be required to wield it.

"It's been proven today."

I must not have been capable enough to wield that sword.

Haseong swished the recovery potion in his mouth, his expression tinged with emptiness.

He had carried the [Sunset Sword] with him for a full two years without ever awakening its power—yet Kim Giryeo had borrowed it for mere moments and managed to use its abilities.

It seems I'm not capable of handling that sword after all. Haseong made a wry expression as he regarded lightly with the healing potion in his mouth. While he had carried the Sunset Sword for a whole two years without awakening its power, Kim Giryeo had used its function with just a brief borrowing.

"Haa."

A misunderstanding beyond the imagination of an alien. Haseong made the change in the [Sunset Sword] had occurred due to the difference in strength between him and Kim Giryeo. Moreover, he didn't even bother to voice his thoughts in detail. He simply swallowed the healing potion and made a bitter suggestion.

"That sword. Should I just give it to Hunter Kim?"

The shocking statement of offering a treasure of the same level as the [Grimoire of Annihilation] for free. If a true S-class hunter had been standing in this spot, they would have likely assumed that he could then, in response to Haseong's suggestion, instead showed a rather reluctant reaction.

"Uh, no... I don't need it..."

The special metal made it so heavy that it was nearly suffocating to wield, and just activating the effect once could almost lead to suffocation. Why would he, a being with an F-rank body, deal with such a deadly weapon itself? Even if he planned to eventually take a higher-grade body in the future, as an alien, there were more than enough reasons to reject it.

"Are you refusing because it feels burdensome?"

"No. It's just that I honestly don't particularly like using blades."

The fact that he rejected a legendary weapon simply because it was a weapon he didn't prefer... truly, he was no ordinary person. Haseong nodded in recognition of Giryeo's extraordinary nature. However, in contrast to the smooth response from the top-ranked hunter, Giryeo began to break out in a cold sweat, pondering over the proposal Haseong had made.

"Is, but why does this guy keep equipping the sword...?"

Did he perhaps realize that I defeated the Beast using some kind of trick?

Or did he perhaps witness the miserable scene of me getting beaten one-sidedly by Brooklyn even being able to lift a finger?

He felt uneasy. If someone suddenly offered him a Legendary weapon without any prior explanation, from Giryeo's perspective, it would sound as awful as like, "Someone as weak as you would need this just to survive, wouldn't you?"

"As expected, did I get caught? Did he realize I'm a total weakling?"

Flutter.

However, if his fake rank had truly been exposed, there was no way the fraud victim, Jung Haseong, would be reacting this calmly. If he really asked a question and dug himself into a hole, the situation might spiral out of control instead. So the only thing he could do for now was to quietly return the item he had taken and used without permission.

Srrmk.

Giryeo grasped the hilt of the weapon with an inverse grip, preparing to return it to its rightful owner.

[H, huh? Are you throwing me away? You're abandoning me after just a few minutes? No way! That stubborn blockhead doesn't even understand what I'm saying! No, no, no, no, noooo—!]

Even at this moment, the words of the Ego Sword continued to pour endlessly into his modified semicircular canal. However, Giryeo showed no reaction to the sword's cry. Because this was merely an artifact. No matter how loudly it screamed, in the end, it wasn't being a sound.

[I'll do better! I'll work hard! New Master! Please, at least for the sake of my amazing voice...!]

An ancient AI created by Alphauri. As Giryeo looked at it, was he feeling a bit of nostalgia? The blonde man, with an explicable shift in his gaze, briefly examined the sword. Then, from the magic circle on his palm, his familiar native language emerged.

[Wave. White. Current.]

[-Keywords confirmed. Administrator mode activated.-]

[Set the owner based on the residual stored mana traces in the cylinder. Additionally, from now on, execute automatic counterattacks when the owner's physical damage exceeds 80%.]

[-Activating this function will increase resource consumption. Do you still wish to proceed.-]

[Yes.]

[-Confirm.-]

[Additionally, set the Ego Sword's general conversation mode to OFF.]

[-Confirm.-]

[Adjustment complete.]

[-Return to default mode.-]

Giryeo had hesitated to use the sword for multiple reasons—because his damaged lungs prevented him from speaking in a language because, because it wasn't his possession, or because he feared awakening the default settings of the Beast. But now that things had come to this, there was no need to play coy. He subtly adjusted the default settings of the legendary item. Just enough that the rightful owner wouldn't find it too strange—yet in a way that would still ensure the hero's protection.

'If he asks later why the function suddenly changed, I'll just say it probably awakened due to the influence of the Beast.'

Just a few words and already his mana was drained again. Giryeo felt his lungs tighten as he left his final message towards the sword.

[I'm sorry for making you stick with such a quiet master, of all things, when you're the type who loves to chat. But this is your role, so what can I do? So...]

Talking to an object as if it were a person. Even if it's a machine that clumsily imitates living beings, could it be a common trait of sentient beings to develop feelings for it?

[Please, from now on, protect Jung Haseong for a long time.]

[...]

[That is a good soul.]

Giryeo said that and handed the sword, which had finished being adjusted, back to Haseong. Just before the hilt hit his hands, the blade shuddered slightly and gave some kind of response.

[I didn't understand correctly. Please say the sentence again accurately.]

That's right. That's what cheap AI does.