Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 163

Weapon-Devouring Bastard – Episode 163

The first step in crafting the spear shaft was processing the World Tree branch.

If it were ordinary wood that the residents of Blackroot Village and I were working with, we would need to trim branches or peel bark. However, such processes were unnecessary for the World Tree branch.

“We will melt the power of this branch as it is and forge it into the desired shape.”

With Bahar’s declaration, the World Tree branch began to emit a bright light.

It resembled a heated lump of iron.

However, instead of heat or sparks, it emitted pure magic and radiance.

“Infuse it with magic. As much as possible, but delicately. And envision the shape you desire.”

Following Bahar’s instructions, I calmly poured magic into the light-transformed branch.

And I imagined the spear I would obtain.

‘The spear I saw in that memory.’

What I envisioned was the memory of Ru’s spear that I had seen with Black Qi.

A spearhead wrapped in a living, writhing radiance.

And the shaft that naturally received the power of that spearhead, amplifying it even further.

Woo-oong!

The World Tree branch, which had begun to emit light, slowly began to bend.

As if blacksmiths were hammering and joining iron, the twigs and side branches merged to become two large branches.

Creeak!

Soon, those two branches also moved slowly and merged with the trunk.

What emerged was a brightly shining, long rod.

It was over 2 meters long, and its thickness seemed perfect for my hand.

It took over a week just to process that form.

Bahar said.

“From here on, it is our work. What you need is the very last step after all the work is done. Leave the spearhead.”

I nodded and left the workshop.

After that, the residents of Blackroot Village focused solely on crafting the spear shaft, except for short breaks.

The sounds of hammers, grinding, magic exploding, fire burning, and soil rising constantly flowed from the workshop.

The dwarves who started the work looked almost eerie.

The sight of over 100 mystical beings gathered together, pouring their power, was overwhelming in many ways.

Nearly a month passed like that.

I waited quietly near the workshop, without disturbing them.

On the final, 34th day, I heard Bahar’s voice calling me.

-Now for the final process. Come here.

I headed straight to the center where the spearhead and shaft were placed.

There lay a long, black-brown spear shaft.

It was exactly as I had envisioned.

Even though it was clearly processed, I could feel some kind of life force from the shaft.

-You are the only one who can touch this spearhead. Naturally, you must also connect it to the shaft.

At Bahar’s words, I immediately tried to grab the spear shaft and spearhead.

However, Bahar reached out and stopped me.

-Pour all your power into imprinting it. Be careful. After the spear is completed, it may reject you.

I drew up all the magic in my body.

I didn’t even think about saving any magic, and I deliberately amplified it several times more, compressing it at my fingertips.

Having finished preparing like that, I grabbed the spearhead and shaft and joined them together.

The spear shaft and spearhead meshed smoothly, as if they had been one from the beginning.

And then.

Kwaaaaaang!

An explosion occurred.

The spear, imbued with my injected magic, began to unleash its power in all directions.

‘Ugh!’

Chwaaaak!

That power did not spare me, who was holding the spear.

Razor-sharp winds shredded my entire body, and a tingling magic like electricity, traveling through my palm and into my body, made me feel like my magic circuits were twisting.

‘This is a completed Celestial-grade weapon……!’

Kwaaaang!

The explosions continued.

Bright flashes that dyed the surroundings erupted several times, and explosions and roars echoed non-stop.

Chwaak!

At that moment, one of my arms was thrown off. My palm was already covered in blood, and blood was streaming from that palm.

As Bahar had predicted, the spear was rejecting me.

I gritted my teeth and pulled my arm back, grabbing the spear shaft again.

And I stared directly at Ru’s spear, which was still bursting with brilliant radiance.

You are not fit to wield me.

“……!”

Was I hallucinating because of the intensely overwhelming explosions?

Suddenly, it felt like the spear was saying those words to me.

And upon hearing those words, I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘How amusing. For a mere weapon to discuss qualifications.’

I curled up the corners of my mouth and gripped the spear shaft even more firmly.

Hwaaaak!

The spear was emitting such intense light that its form was already impossible to discern with the eyes.

‘You are not choosing me; I am choosing you. You are just a weapon, so you only need to comply with my choice!’

From the start, I had no intention of asking a weapon to accept me.

I would just suppress it and imprint that I am the master.

The spear still refused.

As if unable to accept it, it continued to attack me.

But at that moment.

Ugh!

As if unable to endure any longer, Black Qi flowed out from my body.

Black Qi writhing and rising up my arm towards the spear.

I glared at the Black Qi that had flowed out on its own.

‘Stay inside. I don’t need your power.’

In an instant, the Black Qi flinched.

As if sensing my will, the Black Qi slowly burrowed back into my body.

‘You are just one of the many weapons I will wield. So now, just yield!’

I gripped the spear tightly and swung it forcefully.

Kwaaang!

In accordance with my strong will, the light emitted by the spear subsided, and the surging power began to seep into the spearhead.

-Give it a name! You must give it a name for it to truly become your own weapon!

At that moment, I heard Bahar’s urgent shout.

I looked at the spear and thought of a name.

Numerous words flashed through my mind, and a name that suited this spear came to mind.

Kyungcheon (驚天) [roughly, ‘startling the heavens’].

“Your name is Kyungcheon.”

And the moment I said that name.

The color and shape of the spear began to change.

The spearhead of Ru’s spear… no, Kyungcheon, became slightly longer and wider, and the black-brown shaft was dyed white to match the spearhead.

Hwaak!

And all light and sound disappeared as if absorbed into the spear.

Silence descended upon the workshop.

The dwarves who had been thrown back and Bahar, who had been watching me with wide eyes, slowly raised their heads.

“Is it…… done?”

Bahar muttered in a daze.

“Yes, it’s done.”

I nodded.

And with my answer, the dwarves began to cheer.

“Waaaaaah!”

“Amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“It’s a truly incredible spear! I really want to touch it once! Ah!”

“They say only the owner can touch it, so what are you talking about!”

I looked at Kyungcheon with a smile, listening to the pouring cheers.

‘I’ve obtained a difficult fellow.’

Kyungcheon was still sparking and tormenting my hand.

However, it was different from before when it was causing a ruckus, refusing to acknowledge me.

Now it felt closer to a tantrum.

‘It will take some time to tame it.’

It couldn’t be helped.

It wasn’t just a Celestial-grade weapon; it was a top-tier Celestial-grade weapon that had appeared in myths.

If it were easy to handle, that would have been anticlimactic.

‘In any case.’

With this, I had completely obtained Kyungcheon.

* * *

Even though Kyungcheon was completed, I didn’t leave the dwarf village immediately.

Although I had perfectly imprinted myself on Kyungcheon, it didn’t seem like it would willingly be wielded according to my will yet.

To get used to the spear and to handle the accumulated minor tasks, Ron, I, and Hurundart decided to stay in Blackroot Village a little longer.

“Hmm…… so you mean to establish a means of communication to protect us?”

“Yes, that’s right. Now that our location has been revealed, there’s a possibility we’ll be targeted again. I’ll create a contact and come to help if something happens.”

Bahar shook his head.

“It’s too much to receive that much.”

“What do you mean? You helped me complete a spear that couldn’t be completed anywhere else. Besides…….”

I glanced at Ron.

Ron was also nodding with a beaming smile.

“As a knight, it’s only natural to protect those with whom I’ve formed a bond! Besides, since I received something so precious, please allow me to repay the favor!”

Immediately after my Kyungcheon was completed, the dwarves’ reward was also given to Ron.

A wooden necklace with a blue gem embedded in it and a vial of some kind of medicine.

The wooden necklace was a Sacred-grade equipment with various functions, and the vial was an elixir.

“Haha. We only receive from you. Then I will gratefully accept that request. We will make something for the communication method.”

That’s how Ron and I created a bond with Blackroot Village.

In the following days.

Ron and I spent time in the village, waiting for those who would transport the materials related to the puppeteer.

Ron went out into the forest and continued to train alone, as if the experience here had acted as some kind of realization.

Hurundart learned woodworking skills from Blackroot Village.

And I.

“Hoo…….”

In the morning, I was taming Kyungcheon, and in the afternoon, I was reading its memories through Black Qi.

There weren’t many memories.

Unlike other weapons, the memories remaining in Kyungcheon were only of spear throwing.

‘To be precise, it includes magic injection and control related to it…… but even that is not easy to acquire.’

The memories it held were only of the simple act of throwing a spear, but that simplicity was the most difficult.

‘This is a problem to be solved slowly…….’

I looked at Kyungcheon and narrowed my eyes.

This time, while absorbing Kyungcheon, there was one more thing I unexpectedly learned.

It was about Black Qi.

I placed Kyungcheon in front of me and also took out the Black Crow’s Feather, which I always carried with me.

‘Now I’m sure why I couldn’t absorb the Black Crow’s Feather.’

I touched the Black Crow’s Feather.

Black Qi only circled its surface before quickly burrowing back into my body.

Of course, the memories were not read either.

I was now certain of the reason.

‘Of course. Because there are no memories.’

I had examined the World Tree branch with Black Qi when I pulled it from the ground.

At that time, Black Qi showed a similar reaction to when I examined the Black Crow’s Feather.

And when I used Black Qi after the World Tree branch was processed, I was able to read the memories of the dwarves crafting the spear shaft.

That means.

‘Black Qi only reads the memories of objects that have been processed by someone.’

The Black Crow’s Feather is considered a Sacred-grade item, but it is actually a feather left by a divine beast.

Rather than equipment, the expression “byproduct” was more accurate.

‘Knowing this is quite a gain. It’s a shame that I can’t absorb the Black Crow’s Feather, but it seems to be influencing Eunhan anyway, so it’s enough.’

From the start, the Black Crow’s Feather is an item that can be used without having to absorb it.

This feather will save my life someday.

-Bbeek!

The familiar cry I heard then.

I felt a wriggling sensation in Eunhan’s pouch, and a bird’s face popped out through the gap.

“Are you awake?”

-Bbyak!

It worked hard with its wings and legs to get out of the pouch, then flew to see the Black Crow’s Feather.

-Bbyak?

But it turned its head away as if uninterested and flew to land on the spearhead of Kyungcheon placed in front.

-Bbyabyabyabyabyak!

And it started pecking the spearhead fiercely again.

“You’ll break your beak doing that. That’s not food.”

I chuckled and looked at it.

Kyungcheon has divinity dwelling within it.

It seemed that the guy who felt the power similar to purification thought it was food.

-Bbyabyak! Bbyak!

“Huh? Are you hungry?”

“Bbyaak! Bbyak!”

“Ah, you know it’s not food?”

-Bbyak! Bbyak!

“Then why are you pecking it?”

-……Bbyak!

Well, there’s no way we can communicate.

I can roughly understand the feeling, but I don’t know exactly what it’s trying to say.

“You know, you seem to have gotten a little bigger?”

The feathers also seemed to have a bit of luster, and the wing size seemed to have increased by 1.5 times.

-Bbyak?

“Hmm? Is it not?”

But the moment I saw it again, its size had shrunk back to the size of a sparrow.

-Bbyabyak.

It flapped its wings as if annoyed and started pecking the spearhead fiercely again.

“What the heck is that guy.”

I chuckled.

‘Come to think of it, this guy needs a name too.’

It cleverly runs away only when there is a battle, but at other times, it is constantly attached to me.

I keep calling it this guy and that guy, but it probably won’t fall off easily.

If that’s the case, I think I’ll need a name to call it…….

“Hmm.”

I looked at the pecking guy and pondered for a moment.

* * *

Time passed, and I received a message that the people from the Russell family and Jung Jin-soo had arrived at the entrance of the forest.

It was time to leave Blackroot Village.

“Are you leaving?”

Bahar looked at me with a slightly regretful expression.

I gave him a smile.

“If I have business in this area, I’ll stop by from time to time. I also received this communication charm, so you can contact me when you need it.”

“Thank you so much. All three of you are really grateful. If you hadn’t come, what would have happened to us…….”

“That’s right! Thank you! Really!”

“Whee-e-e-e!”

“Lee Chul is the best! Ron is the best! Elder Hurundart…… is the best?”

“What? Who’s the last one! I’m going to……!”

Hurundart shouted and glared.

Laughter erupted from the residents who came to see me and Ron off.

Hurundart seemed to have decided to stay here for a while.

I smiled and greeted the residents.

“Then I’ll be on my way. I wish Blackroot Village well.”

“Thank you. We will also wish you good fortune.”

That’s how we left the village.

* * *

We put all the materials we got from Blackroot Village in a cart and slowly headed to the outskirts of the forest.

“Who was supposed to come from your family?”

“I don’t know, but I think about a squad of knights or working-level staff from the main family would have come.”

“Hmm, is that so.”

People from the Russell family.

In my past life, I only saw them through the media, but this was the first time I saw them in person.

This would be the first time I would see the Russell family in this life.

Ron and I soon arrived at the outskirts of the forest.

And I widened my eyes as I saw the person standing there.

A middle-aged man was standing there.

A strong physique, an upright posture, and a long sword at his waist.

The aura…… cannot be grasped.

Distance was meaningless.

He was already one of those who had set foot on the summit [reached the pinnacle of power].

“Huh?”

Ron next to me also widened his eyes in surprise.

I looked at Ron and chuckled.

‘What? A squad or working-level staff would come?’

Ron’s expectations were wrong.

Completely wrong.

The man slowly approached me.

“It’s nice to meet you for the first time.”

England, Duke of Eastgrow.

The Sword Saint, the Iron-Blooded Knight, Henry Russell.

He greeted me.