Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 129

My daily life on Tsushima Island was quite monotonous.

Training, hunting, resting.

In the mornings, I focused solely on Mana Arts to fully master the 4-Star level.

Whether eating, drinking, or even breathing, I never stopped thinking about it.

And in the afternoons, I would leave my base and hunt monsters.

The reason I chose to fight monsters instead of training alone was simple.

‘This technique is still hard to control. Unlike 4-Star training, I might end up destroying the place.’

It was for the sake of another technique I had to master within a year.

-Kieeeeng!

A 5th-grade Dragonkin monster, a Land Draco.

The lizardman-like Dragonkin monster swam through the ground as if it were water, charging at me.

A dragon without wings, its hide covered in stone.

As expected of a Dragonkin, it possessed far greater strength and speed than ordinary 5th-grade monsters.

Clang!

I deflected the Land Draco that had rushed right in front of me and leaped backward.

The Land Draco was a tricky opponent, capable of merging with the earth and burrowing into the ground.

Moreover, the rocks covering its hide were known to be impervious to damage, even from cannon fire, due to the immense Mana flowing through them.

“Perfect. I needed a guy like you.”

-Kruk?

I gripped Mujin.

One layer, two layers, three layers.

Like lotus petals, forces of different natures fused together and began to gather at the tip of Mujin.

-……!

The Land Draco flinched, startled.

A 5th-grade monster, and a Dragonkin at that.

Even though it was a monster, it possessed enough intelligence to recognize danger.

-Kyaaak!

But a belligerent Dragonkin would never flee with prey in sight.

I extended Mujin towards the Land Draco.

Kwaaaang!

In an instant, with an earth-shattering roar, the Land Draco’s body exploded.

-Kiek…….

A full-fledged 5th-grade Dragonkin monster.

Even though I had dealt with the Land Draco, known for its high defense, in a single blow, I felt dissatisfied.

‘This isn’t it. It needs to be cleaner.’

I touched the tip of Mujin and shook my head.

‘There’s loss during the accumulation phase. It’s hard to handle more than three overlaps.’

The process of unfolding the Black Lotus is complex.

You have to process different energies so they don’t collide, overlap them, control those forces, and then release them all at once when you swing.

Naturally, the more overlaps, the stronger the power, but the harder it becomes to control.

If Subduing Mara is the epitome of refinement, then Black Lotus is the epitome of technique.

I sighed and shook my head.

‘I definitely unleashed a proper strike on Mount Halla.’

I recalled the moment I first unfolded the Black Lotus to annihilate the Great Demon.

Perhaps it was because of the surrounding circumstances where I couldn’t afford to make a mistake, or perhaps it was beginner’s luck, but at that moment, I unleashed a Black Lotus that was infinitely close to perfection.

Of course, Ryeo’s help and Eun-han’s assistance were there, but either way, the process itself was flawless.

‘That means I should be able to do it now too.’

It was at that moment.

-Kiek!

Another monster appeared.

A 5th-grade monster, an Obsidian Mamba.

A giant snake-like monster that was even classified as a Dragonkin according to some classification methods.

‘I’m glad I came here.’

I smiled at the monster in front of me.

I didn’t even have to go looking for them; the monsters came to me.

Where else could I find such a great training ground!

Kwaaaang!

On the outer coast of Tsushima Island.

Throughout the afternoon, a storm of black Aura raged incessantly, and the screams of monsters echoed.

* * *

Time flew by in an instant.

It has already been over a month since I came to this island.

I didn’t just blindly train and hunt during the past month.

I was organizing the situation on Tsushima Island in my own way, comparing the paper map I received from the Black Turtle Society with the records of subjugation in Japan and Korea that I had downloaded onto my tablet PC in advance.

‘According to the Japanese subjugation team’s measurements, the area is approximately 1,323 square kilometers [511 square miles]. Is it slightly larger than when the Korean subjugation team cleared it?’

Tsushima Island was originally an island much smaller than half the size of Jeju Island, but after being contaminated during the Great War, the island’s area is now about twice as large as it used to be.

If regular subjugation is not carried out, it gradually expands its territory, making this island virtually a monster itself.

I finished summarizing the general information and flipped through the tablet PC page by page.

Tsushima Island was home to a truly diverse and large number of monsters, earning it the name of a monster colony.

First, along the coastline, which corresponds to the outermost area, mainly lower 5th-grade or 6th-grade monsters appear. Very rarely, there were also 7th-grade monsters, but they were almost at the bottom of the food chain.

The outer areas were relatively quiet because the level of contamination was low and the monsters’ territories were almost fixed.

If you go into the inner forest, most of the monsters are 5th-grade, and there are quasi-4th-grade monsters that act as leaders of the groups or dominate specific areas.

Meng Geuk’s hollow, which I used as my base, was also located in this inner forest.

And the center.

A terrifying place where mediocre quasi-4th-grade monsters cannot last even for a moment.

The monsters that reside there are all 4th-grade, and territorial disputes occur regardless of whether it is night or dawn.

Moreover, the level of spiritual energy contamination in the center is severe.

Mana interference phenomena occur as if you have entered an actual dungeon, and the toxicity of the air is close to extremely poisonous.

‘It’s still too dangerous to advance and operate in the center.’

It was virtually an unexplored area with a slightly lower level of danger.

Unless I complete Mana Arts 4-Star and the Black Lotus to some extent, entering the center is out of the question.

In the current situation, it might be dangerous to encounter even one or two proper 4th-grade monsters head-on.

‘And…….’

I flipped the screen to the last page.

There was a place in the innermost part of the center, which could be called the very center if I had to give it a name.

I haven’t been able to go there directly yet, so I only know it from information.

The level of contamination in the very center is twice as severe as in the center.

It is impossible to move unless you wear Aura like armor around Eun-han.

And there are monsters even in that very center.

‘4th-grade monsters close to boss monsters.’

-If a monster wins in the competition and becomes the master of the territory, it may develop into a nightmare-level monster if left unattended for a long time.

The Japanese report even contained this information.

There are a total of two monsters in the very center.

A Special 4th-grade Dragonkin monster, Brekia.

And an unidentified flying monster whose name and race are unknown.

Variants with the ability to handle about seven or eight of the same 4th-grade monsters on their own.

These two are the closest to being the masters of Tsushima Island.

I alternately looked at the blurry photo of the flying monster and the satellite photo of Brekia.

Clack!

Then, I turned off the tablet PC and got up from my seat.

‘In a year…….’

Clang!

I gripped Mujin and got up from my seat again to train.

‘I’ll catch these things.’

* * *

Six months had passed since Lee Cheol left for Tsushima Island.

During that time, Jung Jin-soo lived a truly hectic life, overwhelmed with work.

He had delegated many tasks to his employees, but there were just as many tasks that could not be divided.

In short, things like managing Lee Cheol’s funds, which were in paper companies or transferred to overseas nominee accounts, negotiating with the Black Turtle Society, or dealing with some gullible prospective elder of the Nine Dragons Association.

Because it involved going back and forth between illegal and legal activities, and because Lee Cheol’s identity could be revealed, Jung Jin-soo had to handle it himself.

And being here in Mirinae Village was one of those tasks.

“Hehe, I received the goods well. Thank you every time.”

Jung Jin-soo was sweating in front of the giant woman.

‘I get nervous every time I meet her.’

What Jung Jin-soo was facing was none other than the mystical race of goblins.

Among them, Ryeo, the elder of the goblins who had lived for thousands of years.

Even though he had met her a couple of times, he couldn’t treat her comfortably.

Jung Jin-soo hid his surprise by taking a deep breath.

Then, with a smile on his face as much as possible as a businessman, he replied.

“No, it’s nothing. Please contact us anytime if you need anything.”

“We’ve been living in the mountains for so long that we’re a little cautious about going out into the human world right now. I’m sorry for making you come all this way.”

“It’s really okay. The young master told me to fully cooperate with any contact from Mirinae Village. Besides, didn’t you receive this too?”

Jung Jin-soo nudged a small sack.

It was an item that Lee Cheol had contacted him about from Tsushima Island a few days ago and asked him to have it made in Mirinae Village.

“Hey, you bring us what the village needs every time, and it wouldn’t be good business ethics to just take that one sack and be done with it. Tell me something. I’ll grant it to the best of my ability.”

The ancient goblin was offering to grant a request.

At Ryeo’s words, Jung Jin-soo once again organized the contents he had heard from Lee Cheol in his head.

“Then, perhaps…….”

And just as he was about to answer slowly, several fireballs rapidly approached from afar.

Boom!

The fireballs that had flown right in front of him soon burst and turned into three young children.

“……!”

“Mister, mister! You’re Lee Cheol hyung’s [older brother/friend] subordinate, right! But mister, you look older than Lee Cheol hyung? Why are you a subordinate?”

“Didn’t Lee Cheol hyung come?”

“Hey! Lee Cheol oppa [older brother] is so amazing that he can be!”

They were none other than the troublemakers of Mirinae Village, Gyeongchangyung.

“Ha, hahaha…….”

Jung Jin-soo tried to calm his surprised heart. The three little goblins whispered and circled around Jung Jin-soo’s feet.

“But hyung’s friend looks really weak.”

“I know, right. I bet I’d win if I arm-wrestled him.”

Gyeong and Yung chattered, looking back and forth at Jung Jin-soo, making a fuss.

At that moment, Ryeo roughly grabbed the three little goblins at once.

“You brats! I’m talking to a guest right now, why are you interrupting? Go play somewhere else!”

“Keuk keuk! Halmang [Grandma]! I can’t breathe!”

“I want to talk too…….”

“That’s unfair! Only Halmang gets to play with humans!”

“You little things!”

Ryeo stood up from her seat with a seemingly angry expression.

“Come here! You brats!”

“Kkeuak! Halmang is angry!”

“Run away!”

“Hey, hey, kids. Let me go with you too.”

Gyeongchangyung made a fuss and quickly left the spot.

Ryeo sat down awkwardly with a smile.

“I’m sorry about that. Were you very surprised?”

“Ah, no. It’s okay. The children are…… cute.”

Jung Jin-soo wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.

“Cute, my foot. They’re just troublemakers.”

Even while saying that, Ryeo had a very warm smile on her face.

But she soon erased her smile and looked at Jung Jin-soo.

“The conversation went off on a tangent. What were you trying to say?”

“Ah, it’s not that, but…… instead of ending with one-time exchanges of goods like we have been, how about trading with humans on a long-term basis?”

“Trade?”

Ryeo tilted her head.

“Trade…… I don’t think our small village has anything to sell. Humans create so many amazing things, don’t they?”

“Nothing to sell? Equipment made by dwarves, plants grown by elves, and items imbued with goblin magic are all tremendous treasures.”

“Is that so……?”

Indeed, since ancient times, humans had valued the items of mystical races.

“It would be good because we can fill each other’s needs without being burdensome, right? Of course, I will pay the proper price.”

“Hmm, trade. Not bad.”

Of course, there would be things to be careful about.

Humans are a greedy race, and the identity of the mystical race could be damaged by such humans.

“I’ll talk to the elders and other residents about it first.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Was this also from that child’s head?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

To establish proper trade with those who don’t even show their faces to the world after the Great War.

Lee Cheol casually instructed Jung Jin-soo, but Jung Jin-soo was shocked when he heard this fact.

‘Even when I was in the black market, the wealthy were eager for items from the mystical races.’

He was truly a boy who accomplished unimaginable things so simply every time.

“Since that child said it, well, everyone will accept it. If the trade starts, how about you come sometimes and see what to take?”

“If coming to the village doesn’t cause any trouble, I’d like to do that.”

“Trouble? If you’re that child’s person, you’re like a friend to us. Now that we’re talking about it, I’m thinking of holding a festival today, would you like to have a drink and go?”

At Ryeo’s words, Jung Jin-soo shook his head with a very regretful expression.

“I’m sorry. I have a place I need to go to right now.”

“A place to go?”

“I’m going to meet Lee Cheol doryeonnim [young master]. I have to deliver this, and I also have something to tell him.”

“Oh! Now that I think about it, I didn’t ask. Where is he and what is he doing now?”

Jung Jin-soo scratched his head and replied.

“I think I’ll have to go and see.”

That was all he could say.

It was Jung Jin-soo’s first meeting in six months.

A time that was short if it was short, and long if it was long.

How would Lee Cheol have changed?