Chapter 109 : Chapter 109
Chapter 109 : Lv.4 Weapon
“Hmm.”
First, the content of the post itself was not a waste of 10 points at all.
To be precise, the amount of 10 points felt far too little compared to the level of the information.
It seemed to be because the information about Demonic persons itself was not such incredible information for other Players.
Well, it was very important information for me, who had entered this world relatively recently, though.
‘A Demonic person…….’
According to the post, a Demonic person was born from being corroded by the Demonic energy dwelling in Fragments.
As I had worried, and as I had actually already seen, it meant that Players corroded by Demonic energy already existed in this world.
Also, the fact that the designation Demonic person was attached to them must mean that their numbers were by no means small.
‘It was a structure that was bound to be that way from the start.’
The Ascension Stone Fragment holds a great secret about this world.
What is the Ascension Stone Fragment?
Why does one gain bulletin board access upon obtaining an Ascension Stone Fragment.
If we collect all the Ascension Stone Fragments, can we return home?
If you are a Player, you cannot help but harbor curiosity and craving for that secret.
In addition to that, the Demonic energy gained as one obtains more Ascension Stone Fragments, although unsettling, clearly brings great power, so it was bound to be difficult for Players to overcome the temptation of the Ascension Stone Fragment.
Hadn't Yohan, whom I had met just a short while ago, also used the Demonic energy dwelling in the Ascension Stone Fragment as if it were his own power, only to eventually be devoured by it?
‘Is the saving grace that there are those who are wary of the dangers of the Ascension Stone Fragment?’
Until now, I had thought of Bellerophon as one of the common interest groups that put forth a plausible justification to monopolize the Ascension Stone Fragments.
However, if this was the situation, the persuasiveness of what Bellerophon claimed was bound to increase.
As Bellerophon claimed, the Ascension Stone Fragment was indeed a very dangerous item, and it was a clear fact that it had to be eliminated.
‘But those aiming for the Ascension Stone Fragments are surely not just one or two.’
If that weren't the case, there would have been no need to even create the term Demonic person to classify them.
In the end, Players will be divided into two.
Those who try to reject the Ascension Stone Fragments and those who try to take them.
‘No… it would be right to see them as already divided.’
It would be right to see that the invisible war had already begun a long time ago.
One of the biggest pieces of evidence related to that is probably the fact that public discussion about Demonic energy or Demonic persons is not being properly held on the Anonymous Bulletin Board, which the majority of Players can access.
Since the parties to the invisible war were the Anonymous Bulletin Board Users themselves, they are probably tacitly avoiding the topic.
“Tsk.”
I've felt it before, but the Ascension Stone Fragment originates from the Destruction Dragon.
I don't know if it's because of that, but it was as if the Ascension Stone Fragment itself was drawing in Players like a giant trap.
It is malicious to a terrible degree.
To the extent that for humans, whose instinct is to antagonize each other, no way to overcome it comes to mind.
‘Anyway, for now, I must do what I can.’
Objectively speaking, it was a situation that was not very good in many ways, but surprisingly, the solution to this situation was quite simple.
That is, for me, who possesses the power of the Postponer of Ruin, to absorb all the Ascension Stone Fragments that exist in this world.
If that happens, I will be able to fully know the secret that the Ascension Stone Fragment holds, without worrying about the penalty from the corrosion of Demonic energy.
‘The problem is that it definitely won't be easy, though.’
Simple and easy are clearly different.
If I had the same power as I did in Cain's time, it would have been a simple and easy task at the same time, but sadly, for me right now, it was a distant prospect.
‘Even for that, I must get stronger quickly.’
Of course, objectively speaking, my growth rate right now is very fast.
In addition to that, my practical combat power through Weapon Summon and various items is also at a level where no one of the same level can compare.
I can assert that among Players of the same level as me, as well as those about 1 level higher, there is no one who can be my opponent right now.
But what about an opponent beyond that?
What if a Player 2 or more levels higher than me appears before me, having even absorbed the Demonic energy dwelling in an Ascension Stone Fragment?
No matter how much the power of the Postponer of Ruin holds an absolute compatibility advantage against Demonic, compatibility is just compatibility.
Even if I can face a power of 10 with a power of 1, if the power I have to face becomes 100, I cannot win in the end.
This was the reason why I had to get stronger, even one day faster.
‘I should get moving for now.’
I left the barracks.
***
The place I arrived at was a small vacant lot within Winter Castle.
It was a place where other soldiers hardly ever came, as it was very out-of-the-way and the path to it was inconvenient.
A sort of secret space of my own, which I had discovered relatively recently.
The first thing I would check here was, as expected, about the new Lv.4 weapon I had obtained this time.
The Weapon Summon trait was currently my most powerful weapon and main weapon, so checking the manifestation of the new weapon was essential.
‘There’s no need to hesitate.’
I immediately activated the Weapon Summon trait.
[Activating ‘Weapon Summon(??)’.]
[‘Lv.4’ weapon is summoned.]
[Weapon, ‘GF-40 Grenade Launcher’ is summoned.]
‘This is…….’
The moment I saw it appear in my hand with a blue halo of light, I sensed that I had finally obtained firepower that could truly be called magic.
GF-40 Grenade Launcher.
A weapon that could fire grenades just as its name implied, a weapon that could unleash instantaneous explosive power incomparable to existing personal firearms by using 40mm grenades.
One of the biggest features of the GF-40 Grenade Launcher is probably that it can be used standalone, but it can also be attached under the barrel of a rifle in an under-barrel fashion.
In other words, it meant it could be used by combining it with the lower part of the AKR-74 Assault Rifle, the weapon I had been using as my main.
Although it was a bit disappointing that only a single grenade was loaded, that would naturally be supplemented later when the level of Weapon Summon was raised.
‘I want to test it right away… but I must endure for now.’
Considering the firepower of a 40mm grenade, it was obvious that all sorts of commotion would arise if I set something like this off within Winter Castle.
‘Should I try combining it once for now.’
It would be troublesome if I tried to combine the grenade launcher later and it didn't work, so I needed to check it in advance.
[Activating ‘Weapon Summon(??)’.]
[‘Lv.3’ weapon is summoned.]
[Weapon, ‘AKR-74 Assault Rifle’ is summoned.]
The AKR-74 Assault Rifle appeared in my hand with a blue halo of light, and I immediately combined the GF-40 Grenade Launcher with it.
Clack-
Fortunately, the GF-40 Grenade Launcher combined perfectly with the lower part of the AKR-74 Assault Rifle without any problems.
With this, an environment was created where I could project firepower without hesitation in moments when firepower was needed, even in the middle of a battle.
‘Excellent.’
Nevertheless, if there was one inconvenient thing, it was that to use this fully, I had to summon the AKR-74 Assault Rifle and the GF-40 Grenade Launcher separately and combine them.
If a moment came in an urgent situation where firepower was needed immediately, this was bound to be a very critical disadvantage.
‘……No, wait.’
As I pondered about that for a moment, I soon recalled one possibility.
It was none other than ‘Weapon Registration,’ one of the special abilities of Weapon Summon.
‘Is it possible?’
Is it really possible to register the weapons that already exist in Weapon Summon as a new weapon in a combined state?
There was no need to hesitate.
It was something I just had to try for myself anyway.
[‘AKR-74 Assault Rifle (GF-40 Grenade Launcher Combined)’ has been registered to the personal weapon list.]
[Currently registered personal weapons : 2]
“It actually works.”
I had no idea that weapons from Weapon Summon could be separately registered through Weapon Registration, so I couldn't help but be surprised.
‘No wait, if that's the case…….’
Wouldn't it be possible to use the personal weapon summon to have a separate cooldown?
Sadly, this was a failure.
Even though it was registered as a personal weapon, the summon didn't work, as if it shared the cooldown time with the existing Weapon Summon trait.
“Tsk.”
It's disappointing, but it can't be helped.
If this had been possible, I was thinking of indiscriminately registering the weapons from Weapon Summon as personal weapons to eliminate the cooldown constraint, but as expected, the world was not that easy.
‘Although it's a bit disappointing, this can be seen as a sufficient gain.’
I waited for the Weapon Summon cooldown for the AKR-74 Assault Rifle and GF-40 Grenade Launcher to pass in order to finish the experiment.
After spending about fifteen minutes browsing the Anonymous Bulletin Board, I activated the Weapon Summon trait.
[Activating ‘Weapon Summon(??)’.]
[Personal weapon is summoned.]
[Weapon, ‘AKR-74 Assault Rifle (GF-40 Grenade Launcher Combined)’ is summoned.]
With that, the AKR-74 Assault Rifle and GF-40 Grenade Launcher that were originally in my hand disappeared, and with a blue halo of light, the AKR-74 Assault Rifle with the GF-40 Grenade Launcher combined appeared once again.
The experiment was successful.
‘With this, when I need firepower momentarily, I'll be able to use the grenade launcher at once.’
Considering what kind of power a firearm with the might of a grenade launcher would display in this world, it was truly an enormous thing.
‘Good, that's done for now…….’
If it were up to me, I would want to test the firepower of the grenade launcher right away, but since that was something I couldn't do here, I planned to do something else first.
This was because the things I had to do to get stronger were not limited to just examining the Weapon Summon trait.
‘Is it about time.’
I took off Haima's Broken Pendant that was hanging around my neck.
As it was a maintenance time that had come after a long while, I planned to do the work I had postponed and postponed.
‘It should be possible now.’
The power of the Postponer of Ruin, which rejects Demonic energy, grows along with me as I get stronger.
In short, it means that now that I have grown to an extent incomparable to the past, the power of the Postponer of Ruin dwelling in my blood must have also been strengthened by that much.
‘Right now, I should be able to purify the Destruction Dragon's Demonic energy dwelling in Haima's Pendant to some extent.’
No, not just purifying it, but perhaps even subduing and using a part of that power should be sufficiently possible.
‘Then…….’
The hesitation was not long.
I drew the Fang of Blazing Fire and lightly slit the tip of my finger.
As beads of blood formed at the tip of my finger, I dropped them directly onto the center of Haima's Broken Pendant.
Drip-
Drip─
The seeped blood drops began to slowly permeate Haima's Broken Pendant, and presently, a violent backlash began to occur from Haima's Broken Pendant where it met the blood.
Tzzt, Tzztzzt──!!!
Intense sparks flew from all directions.
It was a situation where if someone who didn't know saw me, they would very likely mistake me for the Mage of Lightning Magic.
[The blood of the Postponer of Ruin partially purifies the Demonic energy dwelling in ‘Haima's Broken Pendant’!]
[The Demonic energy dwelling in ‘Haima's Broken Pendant’ is too powerful!]
[The blood of the Postponer of Ruin subdues the Demonic energy!]
After the violent backlash passed.
The cracks in Haima's Pendant that had been broken in parts were filled, as if they had been automatically repaired.
[The Demonic dwelling in ‘Haima's Broken Pendant’ is too powerful, so only a part of the Demonic energy is purified.]
[‘Haima's Broken Pendant’ partially regains its original form!]
[The name of ‘Haima's Broken Pendant’ is changed to ‘Haima's Pendant’.]
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[Haima's Pendant]
Classification : Accessory
Grade : Heroic
Haima's Pendant.
A state in which it has partially lost its original power due to the powerful Demonic energy originating from the Destruction Dragon Tiamat.
It is currently partially regaining its old form with the blood of the Postponer of Ruin.
Contains a part of the Destruction Dragon Tiamat's energy, which has been subdued by the blood of the Postponer of Ruin.
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