In the noisy mansion of Talikal,
I sat beside Sre, waiting for someone while putting aside the visits from other nobles and users regarding Sre’s handling.
It had been a month since the World Boss appeared.
It had become impossibly strengthened, and a week since defeating it became unfeasible.
It was about time it arrived.
“Are you truly the one…?”
With deep hair color and murky eyes shining blue, a man dressed as a blacksmith had arrived before me, piercing through the mansion’s guards.
Contrary to what I heard from Blak, an unmistakable energy radiated from him.
Not mana or any other energy, but the sensation only I could feel, flowing with the blood of the Celestial Race.
‘He’s not one of the Celestials.’
Perhaps a remnant of the Celestial Race or someone who received something related to them.
Whatever it was, the fact that he wasn’t one of them opened the door for conversation.
“Welcome.”
“Did you know I would come?”
“Maybe a little? It’s a pretty precarious situation right now.”
The Talikal was on the verge of destruction, and the continent faced doom.
To overcome this situation, a mythical weapon—that is, a masterpiece—was required.
Drak gripped his hammer with uncertain hands.
“…Are you truly putting in your full effort?”
“?”
“No. That’s not it.”
Drak hurriedly corrected himself.
But I didn’t argue about it and simply smiled.
“I’ve heard quite a bit about you, Drak. Guardian of Talikal, great hero, and the great blacksmith. With so many titles, I had high expectations.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. However, I find myself with a bit of doubt.”
Someone with such power could easily knock down even Blak with one hand.
“Why do you not act yourself?”
“My duty is the protection of Talikal. Protection isn’t limited to doing it myself. If I can guard Talikal with the weapons I create, then that should suffice.”
“Is it not because you are afraid?”
“…What?”
I gently stroked Sre while looking into Drak’s eyes.
Though his eyes were blue, they felt familiar.
“A power that merely stays as an observer. Strong, yet absolutely unable to step forward. If that truly is your limit, then so be it… But it’s not, is it?”
When I first heard the rumors about Drak, I thought he had such restrictions.
The powers of those two wretched races come at a tremendous cost.
But upon meeting him, I realized that wasn’t the case.
“You certainly can step forward. You just seem to be satisfied merely creating things. The reason is likely due to the one who instilled that mission in you.”
“……”
“But I don’t think that mission told you to exclude yourself.”
Isn’t that right?
“…You are quite unlike an outsider.”
“I hear that a lot.”
I hadn’t been an outsider for a long time.
At least, maybe I was in the past, but I wasn’t now.
After deep consideration, Drak lifted a small crafting hammer.
Drak raised a small crafting hammer after deep contemplation.
“It seems a bit early to talk about this now.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. This is a trial.”
Ding!
[World / Hidden – Drak’s Trial]
Objective – Clear all trials set by Drak.
Reward – Drak’s ‘Eighth’ Masterpiece.
Just in time, the quest popped up.
And I decided to turn on the broadcast at this timing.
“Gotta catch that Newtub angle.”
I’ve been showing too many failures lately, so the Newtub angle wasn’t looking good.
‘Newtub angle is crucial.’
[?]
[At this time?]
[Huh?]
[Is it the return of Lily in the afternoon?]
[No, it’s at 11 AM, Kiné, LOL.]
[Wow.]
[Lilha!]
[LiLiRaLiRaRa]
[What’s that?]
[Isn’t that Drak in front?]
[Wow.]
[???????????]
[Drak?]
[Did Drak show up?]
[Crazy LOL, another Mythical one added?]
[Legendary LOL.]
“It’s a trial. Judging by what I heard, it sounds like a long ordeal.”
“That’s right. A masterpiece is a weapon infused with the will of the worthy. If it’s made easily, then that weapon is only of an easy level.”
So, in the end, they’re saying the complex quest is necessary.
“Alright. In exchange…”
Whoosh.
“Let’s have a round.”
“…Huh? Since I’m already the worthy one, there’s really no need.”
“Are you scared?”
“…Okay. I’ll take you on. I’ll make you cry and snot all over.”
Deal done.
■
While various controversies were buzzing around, many eyes were focused on one place.
Drak’s appearance.
Finally, Drak chose Lily as the worthy one to determine the fate of Talikal, and Lily would receive a masterpiece.
Hope was blooming in this ridiculous raid.
However, people’s interest drifted in a slightly different direction.
[LMAO]
[Right out of the gate, we have a ridiculously fun matchup LOL.]
[Fighting Drak?]
[? LMAO]
[Are you not killing the hatchling?]
[A sudden showdown, huh?]
[What’s going on?]
[If I win here, do I get more masterpieces?]
[Whoa.]
[But Drak is really strong though.]
[OMG.]
Somewhere in the plains of Talikal, watched by numerous people.
Unusually, a cold wind blew in this place where Drak and I faced each other.
Drak waved the small hammer in his hand.
“As an immortal, it shouldn’t matter if you die. If you don’t want to die, either dodge or surrender.”
“I’ll make sure not to kill you. You don’t have to worry.”
I am quite used to not killing.
“……Here I go.”
Whoosh.
The hammer moves.
The teeth move.
An infinitely small hammer.
“…!”
Nevertheless, the tiny hammer, boasting overwhelming momentum, struck the holy shield right in front of me.
The shield cracked in an instant and crumbled with a loud crunch.
As I quickly retreated, Drak swung the hammer once more.
Clearly, he didn’t seem to have learned any blunt techniques or had much experience in battle.
His movements were full of gaps, and the sequences were abruptly broken.
But.
“Ugh!”
Boom!
The hammer, timed perfectly, deflected my spear and spun around to aim at the shield again.
Crash! The shield shattered into pieces, and Drak immediately blocked it with the hammer facing the direction where the spear was swung.
Supported by sheer force, Drak momentarily floated in the air.
I spun my spear.
‘Roar of the spear.’
As the roar of the spear tore through the battlefield and reached right in front of Drak, his eyes sparkled.
For a moment, his navy blue eyes regained their shine.
The roar faded away, leaving only Drak swinging the hammer.
Ka-ka-ka-kak!
He laid the spear down to block the hammer.
Just as expected, his strength was quite thick.
“…How about you start doing this properly?”
“Doesn’t seem like you’re doing it properly either, Drak?”
“Hah! Do I really have to uncover all that an old man can do?”
“Hmmm…”
Maybe I’ve seen older guys, so this level doesn’t even faze me.
“How about a bet?”
“…A bet?”
“If I lose, I will endure even that difficult trial. I’ll keep protecting Talikal in the future.”
“And if you win?”
“If I win…”
Heh.
“Please create a masterpiece without a trial. That’s my condition.”
“…?! A masterpiece cannot be born without a trial! That’s what makes it a masterpiece!”
“The trials are already enough as is.”
Even before receiving the masterpiece, I was determined to protect Talikal no matter what.
Above all, I had to wander the world for decades and endure countless trials.
Truly endless choices and battles teetering on life and death.
The trials had already been sufficient.
[Ah, lol just make it already]
[Masterpiece “give”]
[Hahahahahahahahaha]
[I want to take it for free lol]
[Can’t resist mythical-level freebies]
[But isn’t Drak super strong?]
[Can we handle this?]
[What if he gives us a super hard quest or something?]
[Anything…?]
[Oh no]
“…I need to fix my mindset a bit.”
“Should I take that as a yes?”
“Sure. Don’t regret it.”
I won’t hold back anymore.
With Drak’s words as the ending, the tiny hammer emitted a loud noise and released a navy aura.
The spear that was clashing with the hammer crumpled like paper.
Suddenly, the power surged.
“I’m coming.”
I stared blankly at the rushing hammer and the spear bent at a right angle.
I stared blankly at the broken spear.
How long has it been since I repaired it? And it’s broken again.
‘Does it matter?’
“?!”
I could just get a new one.
“It’ll hurt ‘a little’.”
BOOOOM!!!
Before I knew it, the hammer summoned in my hand smashed Drak’s hammer and sent him flying far away.
“Home run?”
[?]
[HAHAHAHAHA]
[Home run~]
[Expected outcome lol]
[Trying to beat Lily with a hammer haha]
[Baseball Queen Lily;;]
■
Thanks to the significant increase in Drak’s power, I swung the hammer with quite a bit of strength.
I didn’t use any special techniques or tricks.
I simply swung hard.
Stronger than usual.
FWWWOOOSH…
“Are you okay?”
“…Is this what they mean by giving you a dose to heal you?”
“Of course, it’s only natural to heal you since you’re hurt.”
“You crazy….”
I went to find Drak, who had been sent flying three territories away from where we fought, and I am now healing him.
Drak looks bewildered, but I’m pretty used to this.
Healing someone.
[HAHHAHAHA]
[Healer Lily]
[Why is she healing???]
[She half-kills and then she heals, haha]
[Saintess Lily ;;]
[She looks so compassionate lol]
[What’s her hidden job that lets her heal?]
[Physical Therapist Lily wow]
[Oh lol, she says she will heal]
[Give me the masterpiece!]
“I’m relieved, though. It would’ve been a big deal if something went wrong.”
Of course, I would’ve resurrected him with a spell if it had come to that.
“…What do you wish for?”
“Pardon?”
“Are you really the guardian of Talikal seeking a masterpiece? Or are you trying to collect a bunch of masterpieces?”
Or perhaps…
“Or is it an obsession?”
An obsession with insufficient power.
Even if it’s not necessary, wanting to get stronger…
“…Do you know the saying, ‘the more the merrier’? The more, the better.”
“That’s an interesting story. Yes, you must be hiding something too.”
Drak seemed to decide not to ask anything more as he quietly accepted the healing.
[Lily hiding something?]
[Huh?]
[Isn’t it just that she has a set of items?]
[Can’t resist five masterpieces, haha]
[Oh, hurry and give me the masterpiece]
[Hand it over!]
[Secretive girl Lily]
“It seems you’re using two main weapons: a spear and a hammer.”
What will you get crafted?
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