Chapter 247


    Hyukjin felt as if he were trapped in a dark ce.


    Where am I?


    It was silent. Amidst the stillness, he could see nothing.


    What about the ck Pearl Centipede?


    He remembered enveloping Isabel in the ckfire that made up the ckfire Bow with Athenaes pure mes as a base. He also remembered burning the ck Pearl Centipede to a crisp with that. And then, his consciousness had dimmed.


    Did I ck out?


    But his mind was too clear for that to be the case. He tried moving his fingersthey moved normally.


    What about Isabel?


    She wasnt in his hand up until a moment ago, but he suddenly began to see her. He heard her voice.


    (You killed me.)


    <em>Crack</em>


    Cracks began to spider along Isabels de.


    Just like the ss of thepass that had broken earlier.


    <em>Crack</em>


    <em>Cra-crack</em>


    With that sound, silver dust fell from Isabels de.


    He heard the same voice, speaking the same line.


    (You killed me.)


    Isabels de broke in half.


    <em>ng.</em>


    One half of the broken de fell to the ground. The sword turned red. Blood seeped from it. Red blood.


    (You killed me.)


    The other half fell to the ground as well, leaving just the hilt. Blood seeped from the hilt, staining Hyukjins hand. The hot blood ran down his hand and down his wrist to soak his clothes.


    (I wanted to live.)


    Hyukjin felt dizzy, like he had lost a lot of blood.


    (Why? Why did you kill me?)


    Behind that voice


    <em>Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.</em>


    He had the feeling he heard another voice.


    <em>Wake up. Please.</em>


    It rang faintly in his ears.


    (Im your bride. So why?)


    And that other voice.


    <em>Husband!</em>


    It suddenly urred to Hyukjin that something was strange.


    She died?


    Isabel died?


    Then whos the one talking to me right now?


    She died, but she was talking. It was strange, something that couldnt normally happen.


    Somethings been distorted.


    That moment, Hyukjin realized.


    He looked at the hot, red blood running down his hand and dripping onto the ground.


    This ce is really dark.


    There wasnt a single ray of light.


    And yet, I can see the red blood.


    He could see it strangely well. That meant this was a distorted space. As soon as he recognized the distortion, an incantation began to flow unbidden from Hyukjins lips, flowing out without his conscious awareness as if it were carved into his body and lips.


    He had, after all, gone through the process of smashing through fabricated authorities and distorted illusions.


    Illusions and apparitions, distortions and lies, cannot covet me.


    No matter what ravine of evil in this world I must traverse.


    No evil power that seeks to harm me can vite me.


    Such is the power of intuition.


    The Eye of Insight that sees the true nature of things.


    Hyukjins voice changed. A low voice that was not his own rumbled from his lips.


    <em>[May all lies.]</em>


    <em>[Be shattered.]</em>


    And then, the fake world enclosing him shattered. Light began to stream in.


    (Are you awake now?)


    This time, it was a white space. It wasnt darkthere was light. But that was all. In his hand was a cracked Isabel. He heard her voice.


    She spoke quickly, like she was being chased by something.


    (No matter what happens, I wont resent you, husband.)


    (Even if I die.)


    (So dont be fooled by a false illusion like that.)


    Hyukjin realized what happened. While he was unloading everything he had, he was hit by the ck Pearl Centipedes illusion attack. Normally, Eye of Perception would defend him from such attacks, but he had just expended too much strength and was very mentally fatigued. He guessed that was why he hadnt been able to fend off the ck Pearl Centipedes final attack.


    (I wont ever me you, never. Because that is the Sword''s Contract I signed.)


    (The Tome of the Divine Sword Physique. You got it, right?)


    Hyukjin remembered. Yes, he acquired it. It was a direct reward from the System.<blockquote>


    [The quest Hunt the ck Pearl Centipede Boss Monster! has been cleared.]


    [Distributing the Tome of the Divine Sword Physique.]</blockquote>


    His briefly cut-off memories returned to him like the iing tide.<blockquote>


    [The Dwarf Elders Blessing is in effect.]</blockquote>


    There were twists and turns, but Hyukjin achieved the result he wanted. It had gone as Hyukjin nned.<blockquote>


    [The Breath of Production takes effect on the Tome of the Divine Sword Physique.]


    [The Breath of Production produces another Tome of the Divine Sword Physique.]


    [The production sess rate is determined by the yers enhancement talent.]</blockquote>


    Hyukjin thought back to the situation that had just passed. When he took the ck Pearl Centipedes illusion attack, and when he shattered the illusion with his incantation, that was when Breath of Production took effect.<blockquote>


    [The Tome of the Divine Sword Physique has been sessfully produced.]


    [You have acquired an additional Tome of the Divine Sword Physique.]


    [The additional Tome of the Divine Sword Physique will be valid for the remaining duration of the Dwarf Elders Blessing.]</blockquote>


    In a few days, this Tome of the Divine Sword Physique would disappear. It was only duplicated for a very short period of time.


    I got it. The Tome of the Divine Sword Physique.


    Isabel responded immediately.


    (Use it right away.)


    Cracks continued to spread along Isabels de. Hyukjin knew that this time, it wasnt an illusion. It was real. Isabel was really breaking. He could feel it, as someone who shared a mental connection with her.


    I can feel Isabels pain.


    She was truly in agony right now. She just wasnt showing it. Despite suffering from the pain of her entire body burning and crumbling apart, she wasnt showing him that. In his minds eye, he saw a woman thrashing in pain.


    Hyukjin immediately used the Tome of the Divine Sword Physique without a word of resistance.<blockquote>


    [Absorb the Tome of the Divine Sword Physique?]


    [Absorbing the Tome of the Divine Sword Physique requires the appropriate talent.]</blockquote>


    A very short moment, just a few seconds, passed.<blockquote>


    [Absorbing the Tome of the Divine Sword Physique.]</blockquote>


    It was like when he absorbed the Tome of the Divine Bow Physique. A storm of blue mana enveloped Hyukjin, swirling violently around him before getting sucked into his body.<blockquote>


    [The trait Divine Sword Physique has been generated.]</blockquote>


    He got another trait. That made twoone being the Divine Bow Physique, the other the Divine Sword Physique.<blockquote>


    [An entity in a Sword''s Contract exists.]


    [The damage to the entity in the Sword''s Contract is severe.]</blockquote>


    Hyukjin knew that the ability he had just used wasnt his own.


    Isabel helped me.


    She had majorly overdone it. It was no wonder manifesting ckfire had felt so easy. That wasnt Hyukjin himself, but something he achieved through Isabels help.


    The question of how Isabel, a sword, managed that, didnt ur to him. The only thing he could think of right now was that Isabel had helped him.


    This is the aftermath.


    She had drawn and used too much of a sealed ability. For him, Kim Hyukjin, Isabel risked her own destruction.


    * * *


    * * *


    He heard her voice.


    (Husband. Dont just stand there all starry-eyed with gratitude. Ill really die at this rate.)


    Hyukjin snapped back to his senses. She was right. This was no time to be immersed in gratitude. Hyukjin had the feeling he would regret it his whole life long if Isabel was really destroyed. Even though she was just an item, that was how it was.


    I


    He instinctively knew what he needed to do. He knew, without anyone teaching him how.


    ...will invest everything in my Willpower stat.


    Now wasnt the time to be flicking abacus beads. There wasnt much time. The destruction Isabel had undergone in the illusion was bing a reality. 20 bonus stats. 25 random stats. He still had a staggering 45 stats in reserve, stats hed been saving to use at a critical time.<blockquote>


    [Investing stats in Willpower.]</blockquote>


    He used all 45 in one go, not skimping on a single one. He had the feeling he couldnt afford to be stingy. At least in this moment, he didnt stop to make any rational calctions whatsoever.<blockquote>


    [Willpower is increasing.]</blockquote>


    His Willpower was originally 17 (+30), which made 47. 45 was added to that, bringing it to a total of 92. Technically, it was 62 (+30).


    The Status Window popped up on its own.<blockquote>


    [Status Window]


    Name: Kim Hyukjin (yer)


    Level: 39


    Contracted Guardian: [Nameless Observer]


    Title: [Pioneer of Victory] [Excellent yer] [First Adversary] [Pure Person of Fire] [Phantom Thief Squirrels Master] [Starting Sovereign] [Starting Fighter] [Thousand Dog Master]


    Dungeon title: [True Ruler of the Gran Seoul Dungeon] [True Ruler of the Predator Tree Colony]


    Innate ability: [Eye of Perception] [Sword of Insight]


    Special ability: [Absorption] [Mettle] [Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth] [Immortal Fleet]


    Trait: Divine Bow Physique, Divine Sword Physique


    Strength: 24


    Intelligence: 24


    Agility: 30


    Perception: 24


    Constitution: 24


    Willpower: 62 (+30)


    Bonus stats: 0


    Random stats: 0


    Undistributed stats: 0</blockquote>


    His Willpower stat shot up, and with it, his connection with Isabel solidified. Hyukjin let out an unconscious cry of pain, his heart feeling as if it would explode.


    This is just a small part of the pain Isabel is feeling.


    A portion of her pain was being ryed to him. Even that small portion was unbearable. It felt like he was going to die, that his skin was boiling up and would soon burst.<blockquote>


    [Confirming the presence of the Divine Sword Physique trait and the linked Sword''s Contract.]</blockquote>


    His much higher Willpower stat strengthened the contract further, enhancing his connection with Isabel.<blockquote>


    [The Sword''s Contract is elevated to the Swords Pact.]


    [Partially unsealing Isabels abilities.]</blockquote>


    Golden light began to shimmer from Isabels de, expanding outwards. That very moment, he had the feeling that something immense, something he couldnt handle, was destroying his body.


    Now!


    Hyukjin instinctively realized that now was the correct time to use Absorption. There was no time to think. It was because he had thought about Absorption multiple times before entering the gate that he was able to use it in that fleeting moment.<blockquote>


    [Using the special ability Absorption.]</blockquote>


    He used the ability that absorbed all physical damage taken over 0.5 seconds.


    The pain is fading.


    It eased a little. He had no idea what just happened, but he knew he had just blocked something dangerous using Absorption.


    Isabels body is recovering.<blockquote>


    [Isabels innate authority, Repair, is taking effect.]</blockquote>


    Hyukjin nearly copsed. It was like all the mana in his body was being rapidly sucked out. If he hadnt thrown 45 stats into Willpower, he might have very well be a mummy.


    But this


    Only then did he realize the strangeness of the situation.


    ...feels like magic.


    It then urred to him that Isabel had also helped him light the ckfire earlier, too. Applying the ckfire to her de was, of course, her power as well. Thinking back, he was sure of it.


    It wasnt me.


    He was convinced that Isabel, a sword, had freely used magic.<blockquote>


    [Isabels seal has been partially lifted.]</blockquote>


    At the same time, he heard a voice.


    Dont think anything weird, Husband.


    The words werenting from inside his mind. They were spoken aloud and registered by his ears. In this world full of light, appeared a woman.


    She was a woman with golden hair, amber eyes rimmed by gold and yellow, and wreathed in white light.


    He could only see her face.


    Ah


    Kim Hyukjin couldnt take his eyes off her.


    Be it Shin Yeonseo, acknowledged by all as pretty, or Cheon Sooji, acknowledged by all as bewitching, or even Senia, who drew the gazes and admiration of all whenever she appeared, he could not see any of them as women.


    He had never once thought, Shes really, truly beautiful about any woman. It was only ever at the level of, Oh, shes pretty.


    But what he felt now waspletely different. He couldnt see her body. The light was too strong. He could only see her face. And yet, Hyukjin felt that this woman was truly beautiful. He couldnt tear his eyes away. His heart began to thump wildly.


    Oh my God.


    The womans hair swayed gently, even though there was no wind. Her lips parted, and her face reddened a little.


    Im a sword.


    She smiled.


    Not a lousy magician.