Novel Will Be Taken Down on 17 May or Earlier Chapter 107 - Ego (2)

The landscape of the ‘state’ remained blurry.

 

I recalled that feeling and manifested Senios’ ice magic. Although it may be nothing more than a drop in the ocean compared to the original, I was able to follow along at least in a similar way.

 

Crack crack–!!

 

The power was incredible.

 

[Morspike Mercenary’s Vengeful Ghost: Lv.560]

 

[‘Stiffness’ occurs to Morspike Mercenary’s Vengeful Ghost.]

 

[‘Stiffness’ occurs to Morspike Mercenary’s Vengeful Ghost.]…

 

I never thought a level 560 monster would freeze and not be able to do anything.

 

Suddenly, I recalled my struggle in the [Predator’s Swamp] rupture. Yeah, how lame it was then?

 

‘Magic isn’t enough, so I even use swordsmanship…’

 

I didn’t even use the sword aura.

 

Just to protect my weak body.

 

I copied Harkon’s posture.

 

Compared to then, it was a great development. Now.

 

‘Of course.’

 

It wasn’t just high-level magic.

 

It was the manifestation of state-level magic.

 

Unlike with Karimjeva, I wasn’t fully prepared now and didn’t overdose myself with bi-herbs. The consumption of mana was extreme. My eyelids were shaking, but I didn’t show it.

 

“This kind of ice magic at once……!”

 

I spoke to Klee, who was breathing in the cold.

 

“It’s not just the living who are after the grass.”

 

“Oh, I see!”

 

“Keep that in mind. I’ll leave the disposition to you.”

 

This was the authority of the chief.

 

I shamelessly ordered her to take care of it.

 

It was literally a monster that caught everything.

 

I didn’t really want to share the experience point, but.

 

‘I have to save my mana.’

 

Ethereal iron.

 

Now that I found out ethereal iron was buried in Mantra Mine.…!

 

“Y-Yes!”

 

Klee looked a little surprised at my words.

 

But she soon disposed of the frozen vengeful ghosts.

 

Yeah, this was what organized society was like.

 

She had no choice but to do as demanded.

 

I used my rank well like this.

 

‘As expected of the Mage Tower.’

 

Klee Odia.

 

She was a skilled mage of the healing school.

 

However, her school knowledge wasn’t necessary to hunt monsters of this level. She manifested basic magic and quickly proceeded with the vengeful ghosts.

 

‘Jessie Heinness is not treated as an apprentice for no reason.’

 

I was startled for a moment.

 

[Your level has gone up.]

 

[Your level has gone up.]….

 

However, it was natural that my contribution was bigger.

 

The backup of the Mage Tower, nothing was more reliable than this.

 

I was careful not to show my dark intentions.

 

That wouldn’t happen, but just in case.

 

“Wow, so this is the ethereal grass.”

 

Klee’s mind was already focused on the ethereal grass.

 

Yeah, let’s just be satisfied and gather some bi-herbs.

 

Considering the effect, it probably wouldn’t be useful right now.

 

If I stacked them up, the day would come when I would need to use it.

 

“If you need my blessing, please tell me.”

 

The nymph, who had been silent, spoke to me.

 

The nymph had helped to grow the four-colored mistletoe.

 

It was her area of expertise.

 

However, as I said, the effect of the ethereal herb was useless right now.

 

Plus the blessing of the nymph, {nature} ability, consumed my mana.

 

At least until I mastered the ethereal grass. Blessings were sealed.

 

Having collected the bi-herb plants, I checked my inventory.

 

As expected, digging a lot of wells was worth it.

 

An item acquired in [Predator’s Swamp].

 

[Modest Storage Belt].

 

Thanks to extracting the effects of inventory expansion that was attached to the item.

 

And added it to my clothing.

 

I had more room in my inventory.

 

What it meant was simple.

 

Whether it was the ethereal grass herb.

 

Or ethereal iron.

 

Or experience point.

 

‘I can go out and fill it up as much as possible.’

 

It looked like greed but it wasn’t.

 

How can I be greedy when I am the embodiment of pure integrity?

 

Okay.

 

This was just to become a big shot.

 

I couldn’t miss anything.

 

This was my desperate struggle to achieve my goal.

 

*

 

Glance-

 

Klee looked at Hoyeol from under her robe.

 

‘…Why did he do that?’

 

She never thought he would entrust the vengeful ghosts that were incapable of fighting to her.

 

For Klee, Hoyeol’s behavior was incomprehensible.

 

Klee was a skilled mage of the Mage Tower.

 

‘It was very unfamiliar.’

 

Hoyeol’s behavior was different from the mages of the Mage Tower that she had seen.

 

Klee knew mages very well.

 

It might be a different case for magic, but.

 

Basically, they weren’t interested in other people.

 

‘Me too…’

 

Because she knew that fact.

 

She was ready to exit the tower.

 

Even if Hoyeol accompanied her as the person in charge.

 

She would protect her safety at all costs.

 

But it was unexpected.

 

“Yeah.”

 

With generosity.

 

– “Klee Odia.”

 

– “There is also a procedure for collecting herbs.”

 

– “Look around.”

 

It was understandable that Hoyeol warned her and stopped the vengeful ghosts with ice magic.

 

Because he was in charge. He wouldn’t want any problems to arise when exiting the tower.

 

‘But at the end, why did he…?’

 

Klee had a lot of question marks in her head as she tried to get rid of the vengeful ghosts.

 

Was it because she was a skilled mage that she couldn’t understand the chief’s thoughts?

 

She wondered if Senior Belliere would have figured him out right away.

 

‘Hmm…’

 

She couldn’t understand.

 

So, Klee had been looking at Hoyeol for a while.

 

She thought there might be a clue in his gaze.

 

‘I don’t know. Belliere-nim.’

 

Never-changing attitude.

 

The face that remained expressionless as always.

 

Naturally, that couldn’t have been possible.

 

A voice came to Klee who was screaming out.

 

“Do you have some questions?”

 

…Oops.

 

Klee shut her mouth again.

 

Now he was using the magic to see through her inner heart?

 

Toward Klee, who was paralyzed for no reason, Hoyeol’s words continued.

 

“I mean about the ethereal grass.”

 

…Luckily, that was what he meant.

 

“Yes. I don’t know the relation between the ethereal grass and the mine…”

 

She trailed at the end of her words.

 

There were hundreds of thousands of bi-herb plants growing on the Arcana continent.

 

It was impossible to understand each effect and characteristic…

 

“Ethereal iron.”

 

“…Yes?”

 

“Ethereal grass is a bi-herb that grows only in places where the ethereal iron is buried.”

 

“!”

 

…Did he have to explain?

 

‘How on earth does Chief Lee Hoyeol have such extensive knowledge of bi-herbs? This is information I couldn’t find even in the books of Mage Tower…?’

 

And why did he tell such valuable information?

 

‘You’re telling me so casually.’

 

No matter how hard she thought about it, Hoyeol was not like a mage.

 

…No, was he really a mage?

 

She even thought of such nonsense.

 

But that wasn’t all.

 

“The environment in which medicinal herbs grow, etc. It would be useless information for me. However, I am giving this information to you because I am also thinking about your research, how to grow bi-herbs.”

 

“…!”

 

He was thinking about her research?

 

It had been a while since the regular conference ended.

 

He thought about it all this time?

 

‘…Why?’

 

She didn’t know the reason, but he was still the chief.

 

From the conference until now.

 

He didn’t stop thinking about work.

 

Klee couldn’t help but admire again.

 

‘I don’t think I would ever be able to do something like that even if someone asked me, Chief!’

 

*

 

The mine became more complex as it got intertwined with the forests.

 

The person who served as a guide was none other than the nymph.

 

“This way.”

 

The nymph could talk to plants, including trees.

 

The ethereal grass where the ethereal iron was buried.

 

Thanks to listening to her, I could figure out its location.

 

‘It’s a perfect shortcut.’

 

[Mantra Mine – Block 1].

 

The shortest route to [Iron Master], the boss monster of the rupture. Information on [Iron Master] was also found in the update history.

 

[Iron Master: Lv.650]

 

It was just a 650-level monster.

 

It must be pretty tough.

 

Let’s be careful.

 

That’s what I thought back then.

 

After finding out that it was related to ethereal iron.

 

The name made sense.

 

And more than anything, I was glad.

 

‘This big mine didn’t just close down.’

 

Knowledge of all minerals.

 

If it weren’t for my prior knowledge of ethereal iron.

 

I would have to struggle quite a bit in the battle against the Iron Master.

 

Soon, Nymph’s wings, which were moving ahead, fluttered and stopped.

 

“This is the place.”

 

I spoke to Klee.

 

“Klee Odia, stand by here.”

 

I hadn’t known.

 

I knew now.

 

Klee’s support was not needed.

 

Tap tap–

 

What greeted me was a large iron giant.

 

He was about 3 meters tall and had armor that tightly covered his body. Considering that his level was 650, his appearance was bound to be overwhelming with a sense of intimidation.

 

However.

 

“Without fail, you look like a warrior.”

 

I wasn’t intimidated.

 

Apart from Grandfel’s personality, I knew.

 

That huge body was just an illusion.

 

Yes, [Iron Master] was an illusion created by ethereal iron.

 

“But you can’t fool my eyes.”

 

Ethereal iron.

 

That name basically meant ghost-possessed iron, didn’t it?

 

The Iron Master was clearly a warrior.

 

It looked like it wanted to clash swords.

 

But as I said, that was a fake made by the ethereal iron.

 

Just like a ghost.

 

Physical attacks couldn’t hit it.

 

“That trick doesn’t work on me.”

 

So what I needed at this moment was.

 

Not a sword, but mana.

 

Yeah, the mana I’d stocked up to acquire ethereal iron.

 

Gooo–

 

I immediately pulled up my magic.

 

[Natural Enemy Relationship] wasn’t activated. Did this mean my level increased so did my mana? I was able to feel the changed flow of mana.

 

“You noticed it right away. You’re not a stupid idiot.”

 

A voice like scraping metal was heard from the [Iron Master].

 

It must be the ethereal iron’s voice.

 

To think that an iron was talking.

 

If it were me in the past, I would have made a fuss.

 

But I knew everything about ethereal iron.

 

‘It’s only natural it can speak.’

 

Indeed.

 

There was a reason why ethereal iron was treated like the legendary minerals. Yes, because ethereal iron was the material of Ego Sword.

 

Ego Sword.

 

A sword with an ego.

 

A precious existence that had been a hot topic since the days when Arcana was just a game. However, that fact wasn’t known not only to the players but also to the Arcanains who possessed an ego sword.

 

That was how precious this iron was.

 

I could guess why.

 

‘First of all, finding ethereal iron was difficult.’

 

Ethereal iron was basically a rare mineral.

 

However, as if that wasn’t enough, it had its own will.

 

No, it was more like stubbornness than a will.

 

I heard the scraping sound again.

 

“Mage, do you think I will give in to you?”

 

In other words, it wouldn’t give in to you willingly. That was probably why it created the illusion. I recalled how to collect ethereal iron.

 

‘Either be acknowledged or subjugated.’

 

Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be easy.

 

Didn’t the mercenaries who heard the rumor about ethereal iron somehow end up as vengeful ghosts?

 

But, you know.

 

‘I’m stubborn, too.’

 

No, it was more like pride than stubbornness.

 

I cast magic on [the Iron Master].

 

The armor was just a facade.

 

Knowing that the essence of it was a ghost.

 

What I chose was pure magic.

 

Swoosh–!

 

Senior mage of pure magic, Banglet Tom.

 

I manifested the rays of mana that I usually used as a thermal plate.

 

Let’s somehow compensate for the difference in power due to the gap in mana by adding the [aesthetic] stat…!

 

Shwaagh–!

 

I didn’t know how effective the effort was.

 

First, something flashy.

 

I used one and hit it.

 

“…You are no ordinary mage.”

 

Zigzag.

 

For a moment, the magic beam that had been extending was bent brilliantly.

 

Swoosh–!

 

Shwaagh–!

 

I started to pierce the [Iron Master]. When I saw that scene, I felt it again.

 

You know. I didn’t say [『oddity』] was on the same similar level of ‘state’ for no reason.

 

“But you still can’t make me give in.”

 

But this guy’s body was an ethereal iron hiding somewhere.

 

The Iron Master was back on his feet.

 

This was why he was tricky to deal with.

 

‘If I can’t break the ethereal iron’s stubbornness.’

 

In the end, the ethereal iron had to be destroyed.

 

That was the method to escape from the endlessly reviving [Iron Master].

 

I checked the remaining amount of mana.

 

There was about 70 percent remaining.

 

‘Will I be able to break the ethereal iron’s stubbornness while my mana holds out?’

 

No, whether I was able to do it or not.

 

‘I have to break it.’

 

From struggling just not to sink.

 

I had pledged to struggle to move forward.

 

For me, it was an opportunity that I couldn’t miss.

 

There was a saying that if you don’t have teeth, you still have gums.

 

Yeah, if I didn’t have magic.

 

I just had to bring out something.

 

I had dug out wells for that purpose.

 

The battle with the [Iron Master] continued.

 

There was a compatibility between a mage and a ghost.

 

Thanks to this, I was able to overwhelm him, but the mana consumed was also extreme.

 

Of course, just like ethereal iron, I didn’t break my stubbornness.

 

‘In the end, I have no choice but to bring out the next move.’

 

Magic, then black magic.

 

Even though I didn’t have mana, I had a lot of the ‘right mana’.

 

However.

 

“I won’t give in… Mage…!!”

 

I paused at the screaming voice of the ethereal iron.

 

“Even if it destroys me, I won’t give in. The only person who can subdue me is a swordsman with the skills I can serve…!”

 

It wasn’t usually stubborn either.

 

It was a level of pride beyond stubbornness.

 

Of course, it was something I couldn’t ignore.

 

Well, I wasn’t a mage.

 

Clink–

 

I nonchalantly raised my sword.

 

Then I took a breath.

 

Sword aura swayed on the blade.

 

My level was insignificant.

 

– “In the battlefield between life and death, the aura becomes darker and takes on its own color.”

 

Thanks to that, for me, the battles in every rupture.

 

Thanks to always treating them as a battlefield between life and death.

 

My aura was incomparably thicker than before.

 

Without the slightest hesitation.

 

It gave off its own ‘noble’ light.

 

Suddenly, I heard the ethereal iron’s voice, which was full of emotion.

 

“Sword aura…! You’re the one I’ve been waiting for!”