Before leaving the family, I received four masterpiece-grade weapons as a reward for sparring with my sixth eldest sister.
When I chose my weapons back then, not only the Senate elders but even my eldest brother wore strange expressions on their faces.
It made sense to understand the choice of the "Iron Hide Shield," considering its versatility, but the other three weapons must have been baffling to them.
However, to me, they were more than useful.
Because they were being replicated through Mujin.
Wuuuung!
Mujin in one hand, Black Night (Heugya) in the other.
As I infused mana into Mujin, its form began to slowly change.
"Black Energy reads the memory of all weapons."
There was no restriction on which weapon.
And after all, weapons did not refer only to swords and spears.
Fwoosh!
Mujin, writhing around my left arm, began to take on a broad, thick form.
It became as wide as my upper body, with a handle attached to the back, and its surface gently curved.
It was a shield.
One of the four special pieces of equipment I had absorbed during my time at Valerie's workshop.
A masterpiece-grade shield — the Holy Shield, Ancile.
A shield said to have been bestowed by the chief god to Rome's second king, Numa Pompilius.
The original was of a heavenly grade.
What I received was one of eleven replicas forged by a divine command, fearing the loss of the original legendary shield.
Since the original was so incredible, even the replica carried performance near that of a holy relic.
I brought it forward to shield my body, and casually let Black Night hang from my right hand.
"Chwiik! Chwiiik!"
An orc charged again, swinging a log.
Had it been earlier, I would have dodged. But this time, I planted my lower body firmly and charged forward with the shield.
Kwaang! Kkachajak!
A short explosive sound.
The log shattered into pieces.
"Chwiik!"
For a brief moment, human-like pupils glinted within the orc's rough skin — filled with surprise.
Through the scattering splinters, I extended Black Night.
Slash!
The orc's head rolled across the ground.
The combination of shield and sword, or spear, had been a standard combat method since ancient times.
And the reason it had endured for so long was because of its simplicity and power.
"Kieeeek!"
Ting! Tiding!
The grotesque creatures charged, unbothered by the death of their comrade.
I stepped my left foot forward.
The shield in my left hand firmly guarded my upper body, while Black Night in my right hand stayed hidden behind the shield's shadow, ready to strike.
Kwaang!
I lightly deflected the monster rushing head-on with the shield, and Black Night gleamed as it sliced from the shadows.
"Kugh!"
The grotesque creature collapsed, spraying blood.
I moved forward again.
Block, slash, another step.
Deflect, stab, another step.
With each step, another enemy fell — ever since I picked up the shield, it was a one-sided slaughter.
"Kieek!"
But they weren't going to just stand by and keep getting killed.
Even though several had died, they still outnumbered me.
Unlike their previous reckless charges, this time they attacked from four directions simultaneously.
'They've adapted. So they haven't completely lost reason.'
As fast as I was, with only two arms, there was a limit to how many directions I could respond to.
But I wasn't worried.
Like many masterpiece-grade items, Ancile held a hidden power.
Boom!
A hairy beast charging from behind — the side I hadn't extended my shield toward — was blocked mid-air by an invisible force.
Ancile's ability: Manifestation of the Spirit Barrier.
An ability that projected an opaque barrier within a certain range by consuming mana.
Slash!
I immediately sliced down the monsters charging from the front, then turned to sever the one caught by the Spirit Barrier.
Flinch!
Their surprise attack from all sides had failed — and the grotesque creatures faltered.
'If they won't come—'
I readjusted my shield and narrowed my eyes.
'Then I'll go.'
Huff—
Exhaling briefly, I pushed off the ground with my back foot.
Kwaang!
A sound like an explosion echoed as my shield slammed into the enemy.
One by one.
I steadily cut them down.
No flashy movements, no deception — just solid, orthodox combat.
Though the shield barely covered my upper body, to the enemy it seemed like an impregnable fortress, and the swinging Black Night brought an inevitable death.
It had the form of a tank in the shape of a human.
Even if one tried to attack from a distance or from behind, the demon eyes and sixth sense detected all attacks, and thanks to the Spirit Wall, it blocked everything even when attacked simultaneously.
"Hoo—."
I exhaled briefly and crouched low again.
"Kiiieee…"
For a moment, the battle paused.
Before I knew it, there were fewer than ten monsters remaining.
The eyes of the monsters, who until now had charged in without fear of death, were trembling slightly.
Tak!
With a single step forward from me, the monsters simultaneously took a step back.
The madness that had driven them to ignore even their comrades' lives seemed to have weakened.
And then it happened.
Kyaaaahhh!
A strange, high-pitched sound like a flute echoed out.
It was more like the wail of a beast than the sound of a musical instrument.
To me, it was just an unpleasant noise—but upon hearing it, the expressions of the monsters suddenly changed.
Thump—.
One of the monsters suddenly dropped to all fours and bolted into the forest.
'Now, of all times?'
Starting with that one, the rest of the monsters scattered in all directions.
'So there is someone giving them orders.'
That howl just now—
It clearly served some kind of purpose.
Retreat.
On the surface, it seemed like a smart decision.
At this rate, since I could only fight at close to mid-range, no matter how hard I chased, I wouldn't be able to catch them all.
Some of them would survive.
Of course, that's assuming I can only fight at mid-range.
Wiiing!
The form of Mujin, which had transformed into Achilles, changed once again.
Instead of chasing, I took a stance.
I stood with my body turned to the side and extended my left hand holding Mujin straight forward.
Then, in an instant, under the moonlight, Mujin's new form was revealed—
A bow.
Mujin had taken the shape of a bow.
A masterpiece-class bow: the Jeokgak Bow.
One of the three weapons I had absorbed.
No arrows needed.
Aura would take their place.
I naturally drew my right hand back to my jawline.
Using my sixth sense to roughly detect the target's location, and my demon eyes to pinpoint it precisely.
About 300 meters away.
There were some obstacles in the way, but that didn't matter.
I released the bowstring.
Thwak!
With a rough sound, the remnants of aura exploded behind me.
Kiiiieeekk!
A scream rang out from deep within the forest.
I gripped the bow tightly and dashed forward.
'Nine left.'
While cutting through the forest, I drew the bowstring again.
Swhiiick! Crack! Boom!
Even though I had absorbed the bow's memories, I wasn't as skilled with it compared to my other weapons, so I wasn't hitting every shot.
Still, the arrows steadily pierced through the monsters' backs.
I swiftly moved, tracking their energy.
'It's a slightly inferior weapon, but not bad.'
I glanced at the Jeokgak Bow, shaped in the style of a traditional Korean horn bow.
Unlike Ankille, which was nearly divine among masterpiece-class weapons, Jeokgak Bow was closer to an average item among masterpieces.
For one reason—
Its ability was "Shooting Assistance."
To a true archer, such a skill was unnecessary. They would be marksmen without it. It was a redundant ability.
But—
'It helps me.'
For someone like me, who lacked proficiency with the bow, it was the perfect weapon.
It didn't take long to absorb, either.
The battle now felt more like a hunt.
I loosed the final arrow.
Twang! Boom!
With that, I succeeded in eliminating the remaining monsters.
I lowered Mujin and gathered my mana.
"Kiieek! Kek!"
Of course, not all of them had been killed.
I dragged over the three monsters who were still alive, suppressed their mana, and bound their limbs.
"Gieeek!"
Crunch!
To prepare for any unforeseen events, I shattered their shoulders, arms, and legs.
They were bizarre beings of unknown origin.
Who knew what they might try to do next—this much was necessary.
"Their eyes are dull, and the aura they emit resembles that of monsters. Doesn't feel like corruption… more like brainwashing? Or a type of curse?"
I observed the monsters, writhing and screaming in pain.
"Let's try infusing some mana."
My mana, infused with the power of Jahaseokcheong, had resistance to curses and poison.
If I could purge whatever was inside them, I might be able to get some answers.
I reached for the wrist of one limp man to inject my mana—
BEEEEEEP!
A strange sound echoed through the mountains again.
It had the same feel as the earlier cry that seemed to command the monsters.
And then—
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
As soon as the man heard the sound, he began to convulse.
"Stop! Stay still!"
I reached out to restrain him—but froze in disbelief.
Sizzle!
His skin melted like cream, hair fell off in clumps, and his pupils suddenly split vertically.
The air filled with a pungent stench—before me stood not a man, but a lizard-shaped monster.
"..."
And it wasn't over.
The other two I had restrained also shed their human forms like cocoons, transforming into monsters.
"What… in the world."
-Shhhick!
One of the lizardmen, who had ripped off the ropes and recovered its previously broken arm, glared down at me.
There was no trace of the humans they once appeared to be.
Had humans become monsters?
Or had monsters simply been wearing human skin?
"…Disgusting."
Either way, it was a forbidden abomination that could not be tolerated.
I tightened my grip on Mujin.
***
On a rocky peak of Mount Toham.
At that lofty summit, a human silhouette stood.
A woman cloaked in tattered rags.
On her face was an eerie, featureless white mask.
"Brown eyes… black hair… so it is him…"
Her voice was like nails scraping a chalkboard—unpleasant and grating.
She ground her teeth while staring down at the mountain, as if she could see something.
"The grave's gate has opened, so I came in haste… and yet, what is that? Flee. Flee…"
She put a white flute—one that looked as if it were made of bone—to her lips.
Screeeeech!
Her comrades began to retreat.
But this time, that devilish child had begun using a bow.
"Cursed one… a wretch who deserves death…"
The woman fidgeted, as if itching to act immediately.
But she knew—she must not confront him.
Not yet.
Her time had not come.
She swept her gaze over the mountain.
"Oh, you who seek true freedom… I shall strip away your final masks."
She raised the flute to her lips.
BEEEEEEP!
And once more, that twisted wailing echoed across the mountains.
She trembled as if envious of the sound, listening to the scream that rang throughout the mountain range.
She kept listening until the sound faded completely.
Then, she pulled her ragged cloak over herself and slowly descended the mountain.
-Kieeeek!
Monster cries echoed through the mountains.
And the glow in the woman's eyes gleamed ominously.
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]