Episode 230
“I never thought a day like this would come.”
Hanbit stood facing Asla, whose eyes held a distant gaze.
Ariel was back atop a flower, looking down at the place with a joyful expression.
“It seems we have met before.”
“Indeed. It was an honor beyond my deserving.”
Asla, who had infiltrated the Forest of Illusions, came face-to-face with an army of elves and fell into a volatile situation.
Just before a life-or-death battle was about to begin, a whirlwind blew, and she was sucked into the realm of wind.
“If Lady Ariel hadn’t intervened, I might have died right there. The lives of innocent elves would have vanished along with me.”
「You were such a sharp child back then. You seem to have gained composure over time?」
“…I am still ashamed of the days when I only chased after power.”
The Asla of the past was someone who would stop at nothing to become stronger. She
went so far as to deliberately pick fights with all kinds of races, let alone those in forbidden zones.
However, her encounter with Ariel brought about a significant change in her mindset.
The memories of having acted as her familiar for a while were still vivid for Hanbit.
These were pieces of information he had gathered while possessing Asla's body.
"Time is running short, so let's begin immediately."
Whoosh!
Asla drew his sword, assumed a stance, and stirred up a fierce gust of wind.
Facing him, Hanbit also drew his sword.
"There are two things I will teach you. Since senses are crucial, try to feel them as best you can."
Ding-
[Hidden Quest]
Asla summoned to the Sanctuary of Spirits.
You must learn the last two swordsmanship techniques available from him.
Objective: Master the techniques before the Wind Realm collapses.
Reward: 10,000,000 Gold, Asla's Secret Book, 50 Stat Points, 30,000,000 Experience
. The quest description that popped up was simple.
The final swordsmanship techniques one could learn from Asla.
These were skills that would be crucial for the journey ahead.
"Feel the wind. And read it."
With the voice, his sword swung diagonally.
At the same time, a swaying form of wind stretched out, engulfing the field of vision.
Whoosh!
The wind, sharp enough to sting the skin, resembled a massive wave.
However, to one who understood the sensation of this technique, it appeared in a completely different light.
Swoosh—
Hanbit lowered his stance, let his sword hang low, and concentrated.
To feel and read the wind.
The fruit of that action manifested as a single small rift within the wind.
Ta-ta!
Hanbit pushed off with his foot, his foot gliding into the wind.
There was no need to look at anything else around him.
Whoosh!
The unleashed sword pierced the rift with lightness and piercing.
At that moment.
Whoosh!
The wind, which had been clumped together like waves, scattered cleanly.
"…Just once?"
A learning ability that required no trial and error. It was
a result that transcended the mere product of talent.
Normally, this would require a full day, or at most several days, of staring at the wind alone to achieve.
"That's incredibly fast."
Ariel, who had been watching the two with his chin resting on his hand, also widened his eyes slightly.
It was indeed one of the trickiest techniques wielded by a wind spirit.
"It is indeed valuable."
The name of the technique just experienced was Wind Rift.
Simply put, it was a technique that identified a target's weakness.
Its versatility was considerable, as it could be used not only against living creatures but also to counter magic and traps.
*Crack*—
Just then, the sound of something collapsing was heard from near the edge of the grassland.
It was a sign that the domain was beginning to crumble.
"I must hurry."
Asla immediately moved on to the transmission of the final technique.
*Whoosh*—!
Wind enveloped the two of them, creating a spherical domain.
It felt rougher than before, making it difficult to compare.
It was dangerous enough that attempting to force one's way out would result in being torn to shreds.
"Watch closely."
Asla closed her eyes and concentrated with all her might. Her sword-
drawing stance, perfect for her age, showed not the slightest wavering.
*Whoosh*—
Just then, the wind within the spherical domain began to move and take shape.
At the same time, Asla's eyes opened.
*Whoosh*—!
Along with the swung sword, a strike of wind surged into the empty space.
At that moment.
*Whoosh*—!
Eight blades of wind were launched from various points within the spherical domain.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-!
The wind offensive was driven into the path of Asla's sword strike.
It was a force powerful enough to significantly shatter the ground.
“This is the Dance of the Heavenly Sword. It is a powerful swordsmanship that unleashes sword strikes accompanied by the wind that has created a domain. The preparation time is not short, and aiming accurately at a target is very difficult, but… you will be different from me.”
Asla sheathed her sword, her gaze fell upon Hanbit. It was a mixture
of expectation for her disciple and a touch of envy.
It was not jealousy, but rather the remnants of her past passion for power.
“I want to try it too!”
Just then, the Sylph in Hanbit’s arms stretched out her hand.
Immediately, the quiet surroundings began to transform into a domain of wind.
Whoosh—!
A sphere even darker and larger than the one Asla had created.
It was because the power of Aerial residing within the Sylph had mixed in.
Swish—
Hanbit grasped the hilt, lowered his body, and assumed the stance to draw his sword.
And the moment he swung the sword forward.
Whoosh—!
More than ten blades of wind poured down from the sky.
Crash—!
“…Hmph.”
Asla let out a sigh at the intense assault tearing through the grassland.
Its power surpassed hers, even though she hadn't been properly taught the technique yet. She
couldn't help but be surprised, even if it wasn't the power of her prime.
In particular, it was by no means an ordinary occurrence for a spirit's will to be stronger than a human's.
"How was it? How was it?"
The Sylph, having returned to her side, asked while circling around her head.
Hanbit, just as surprised as Asla, offered sincere praise.
"You did so well."
"Really? Wow!"
The Sylph spun even faster, letting out a joyful voice.
Then, it suddenly stopped abruptly in mid-air and flew into her arms.
"I feel dizzy…"
Hanbit chuckled, catching the Sylph in his hand.
Just then, Asla approached.
He handed her a book emitting a luminous green light.
"Excellent. I suppose there is nothing left for me to teach you now."
Ding-
[Quest completed.]
[Received 10,000,000 Gold.]
[Received Asla's Secret Book.]
[50 Stat Points granted.]
[Experience increased by 30,000,000.]
[Level increased by 1.]
[1 Stat Point granted.]
Hanbit took the green book.
As he turned the cover, a holographic window with a gold border appeared.
[Would you like to use this? (Yes/No)]
He immediately touched the 'Yes' button, and the hologram vanished.
Pop!
The book vanished into smoke.
Soon after, a message appeared.
[Hidden Spirit Skill Wind Rift (Rank 7 – Legendary) added.]
[Hidden Spirit Skill Dance of Heavenly Swords (Rank 8 – Epic) added.]
'…I've reached Rank 8.'
A skill reached much faster than expected.
Although the perfection of the body wasn't quite to their liking, it wasn't a problem thanks to the addition of Ariel's power.
"It finished faster than I expected."
Having fallen from the petals, Ariel landed lightly on the ground.
Then, she approached Hanbit.
"I'm going to sever ties with the other spirits for a while. You don't intend to hurt those children, do you?"
"Of course not."
Ariel's words were not sudden.
As long as a top-tier spirit was present in any form, the very existence of spirits of other attributes was bound to be shaken. It was obvious
that forcing them to accompany them now would only lead to bigger problems.
*Swoosh*
—At their words, the three spirits appeared.
They were the spirits of fire, water, and earth.
"Thank you for helping."
Hanbit met everyone's gaze and expressed his gratitude.
In response, the three spirits also expressed their feelings in their own ways.
After a short while, Ariel reached out a hand.
"Now, let's go back."
*Whoosh*
—A gentle breeze enveloped the three spirits.
Before they knew it, their figures had vanished.
"I have a little time to spare." "There was another child loved by the wind, wasn't there?"
Whoosh—
A thick wind reappeared, growing to the exact size of a human.
As it vanished, a girl with sky-blue hair appeared.
"Huh?"
Haneul, who had been crouching, looked around.
The first face she spotted was Hanbit.
"Lord Black Dragon!"
She quickly rose to her feet and stood close by.
Watching this, Ariel reached out her hand.
Whoosh—!
"Wow, a spirit…!"
Along with the raging wind, Haneul's eyes opened wide.
It seemed he had stepped in to fill the void left by the vanished High-ranking Spirit.
Withdrew his hand, Ariel looked at Asla and said,
"You just need to come out after you've taught this child. I'll make the path of the wind for you."
"Understood."
Asla immediately bowed and obeyed the command.
Hanbit, who had been scanning the party members' screens, asked Ariel,
"It seems the other two will need some time as well."
"One is Earth, the other is… Light. It's a safe area, so it should be fine."
Noeul was talking with the High-ranking Light Spirit.
And Pingpong, whom I hadn't expected much from, was also desperately trying to persuade the Earth Spirit.
It was a scene like a musical, far beyond mere pleading.
"Then let's go."
Whoosh!
A gust of wind swept in along with Ariel's voice.
Before he knew it, he had arrived at the Island of Thunderstorms.
"What on earth are you doing now?"
When he looked up at the voice, he saw Tonatio, the Supreme-ranking Electric Spirit.
He was frowning in displeasure.
"It's been a while." " Has it been a hundred years?"
"Don't talk like a human. And didn't I forbid us from trespassing on each other's territory?"
"That's a bit upsetting, isn't it? I came to let you know because you didn't seem to know the sanctuary had been attacked."
"…What?"
Tonatio's eyes widened at the unexpected news. He
appeared to be truly shocked.
"I'll explain it to you for now."
Ariel explained the situation that had occurred at the sanctuary.
Shortly after, a golden spark erupted from Tonatio.
*Crackle*!
"How dare a human mess with a spirit?"
His anger stemmed from his pride.
It wasn't because they had provoked an electric spirit of the same attribute. It was anger at the act of ignoring the difference in status between
a primordial being and an ordinary creature. "This is going to take a while. I have something to verify anyway, so you do what is necessary. I'll call you tomorrow when the time is right." " …Understood." Nodding, Hanbit left the Island of Thunderstorms. The 24-hour time limit hadn't even been half used yet. Having moved to a safe zone, he sat down in a suitable spot and sent a message to Kim Jae-ha. "Hyung, please craft it according to the attached details. You can purchase the additional materials using the attached Gold and Yeon-woo." Eight items obtained from the dungeon and a lengthy description. It took quite a while to write everything down meticulously. Given Kim Jae-ha's skills, it would likely be finished by tomorrow. "So, shouldn't you head back now?" Hanbit asked, staring straight ahead. There was someone who responded to the voice echoing in the air. * Swoosh* —a black-and-white rift appeared before his eyes. Emerging from it was Dusk, wearing a hood. "……." Standing silently, he said nothing. His face looked as if he had been shocked by something. When the silence continued a little longer, Dusk finally spoke. "Who are you?" "A candidate for the Investigation Team and a Spirit User. I have nothing else to explain." "Don't make me laugh!" Dusk raised his voice at the abrupt remark. His expression was tinged with bewilderment, as if he had seen the unknown. “Spirits so powerful they are beyond description! The forces that attacked them! The story of the Goddess that came out of your mouth! The claim of knowing the future! None of these can be easily overlooked!” “Since every single one of them is true, report it directly to the Captain.” “Is that the future you know? That I would act that way?” Dusk asked, blocking his path. It was a natural reaction, but there was a need to clear up the misunderstanding. “It’s not that convenient. Lately, a lot of unknown things have been happening.” “What do you mean…?” “Figure it out yourself. I’m going to stop by the dungeon again.” Hanbit walked past him and headed toward another island. Dusk, who had been contemplating while watching his retreating figure, finally followed behind. [Dungeon cleared.] [Dungeon cleared.] [Dungeon cleared.] After clearing three more dungeons, Hanbit exited the game. It was after sending off the twins, who had successfully made a contract with a spirit, and Pingpong. And the next day. Logging into the game at the 24-hour mark, Hanbit was faced with a message that popped up. [Completed Main Quest #7.]
