Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 56

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Chapter 56

The reward I wanted from the Mountain God was the Goblin Bat.

Of course, I didn’t want to take ownership of the bat itself.

I was the one who suffered damage, but receiving the Goblin Bat, a symbol and sacred object of the goblins, for something like that didn’t seem right.

So, I asked for it for exactly one hour.

I asked the Mountain God to lend me the bat for just one hour.

“No, why do you want to borrow it for an hour when you can’t even handle it? You don’t even know what this is, do you?”

“I know very well.”

The Goblin Bat was known to be a weapon unique to goblins, created by mixing the souls of goblins with fragments of stars.

Here, the soul didn’t mean a literal soul, but rather the accumulated time and essence of the goblin imbued within the bat.

The time a goblin spent using magic with the bat over generations gave the weapon its own spirituality.

Therefore, no spirit creature, no human who had accumulated high status, could use the bat unless they were a goblin.

This was like an absolute law.

“Even if you touch it, the Goblin Bat is just a strangely shaped club, you know? If you try to use it forcibly and do something weird, you’ll only get yourself in trouble, got it?”

The Mountain God swung the Goblin Bat in his hand and held it out.

It was as if he was holding nothing, but the air distorted in the empty space where the Goblin Bat seemed to be.

I politely reached out my hand and received it.

Thud-.

And I dropped it right away.

It felt as heavy as holding a house-sized rock.

The ground where the bat fell was about to be deeply dented.

The Mountain God clicked his tongue as if he knew it would happen.

“I told you, you wouldn’t even be able to hold it.”

“Ugh.”

Only after drawing up mana could I lift it even a little.

He swung this heavy thing around so easily? I was once again aware of the goblins’ mysterious abilities.

I even raised my mana and focused all the power of my body on both hands.

Creak!

Only after doing that could I lift the Goblin Bat.

“Then… I’ll see you in an hour. Please leave the area during that time.”

“Ugh, stubborn as a mule. What are you going to do with that thing?”

The Mountain God scoffed.

I groaned and carried the Goblin Bat into the knothole where my training ground was.

Thump!

The ground rumbled heavily as I put the bat down in the training ground.

“Hoo. It’s insanely heavy.”

I took a light breath and focused my eyes.

The reason I borrowed the Goblin Bat for an hour, even though I couldn’t use it, was none other than this.

‘I want to know how far the Dark Qi [dark energy] can reach.’

I needed to know the extent of the Dark Qi’s influence.

The Goblin Bat was a celestial-grade weapon, but it was also a weapon for which grading was meaningless.

I needed to know if the Dark Qi could absorb anything that fell into the category of ‘weapon,’ or if it worked according to certain conditions.

‘Until now, I’ve only been using this Dark Qi recklessly. I need to pay a little attention.’

I sat in front of the bat and slowly raised the Dark Qi.

Black particles like mist spread around me.

And the moment the Dark Qi enveloped the bat.

Crack!

Along with a sharp headache, a stream of voice was heard.

-Ugh, stubborn as a mule. What are you going to do with that thing?

I could hear the Mountain God’s voice, very faintly, saying something to me.

‘I read it.’

Whoosh!

“Ugh!”

I felt tremendous pain in my heart and head, even though I had only heard a single stream of voice.

The Dark Qi immediately returned to my body as if all its power had been exhausted just by reading that one voice.

‘I can’t believe this worked.’

I felt my hands tremble.

It was just one word, but the fact that I had read that one word was important.

A weapon that only goblins in this world could use.

Now, I had read it through the Dark Qi.

Reading the memory meant that I could absorb it, and absorbing it meant that I could handle it.

“Could it be… can I even read weapons that humans can’t handle?”

I stared at the Goblin Bat with trembling eyes.

Something that could never happen was happening right before my eyes.

* * *

I spent the remaining time resting and organizing my enlightenment, day after day.

And exactly one year later, I gathered all the equipment and supplies I had brought and headed to the cave where the Mountain God’s residence was.

“Oh, I thought it was noisy at the foot of the mountain, so today’s your departure day?”

The Mountain God, drunk from the morning, walked over in a loose fluorescent hiking suit.

I used to think it was an un-goblin-like outfit, but after learning that the shabby-looking hiking suit was a super-expensive luxury brand, I thought it was indeed a goblin’s outfit.

“Yes, it’s exactly one year today.”

“Oh, is that so?”

The Mountain God waved his hand.

At that moment, a large container full of white powder fell from the air.

“What is that?”

Is he giving me a gift or something?

“Don’t get your hopes up, kid. It’s salt. I’m going to sprinkle salt when you leave.”

“…….”

“Humph! Do you know how much I suffered because of you… Ugh, don’t ever come back, really.”

I thought so.

I shook my head.

“Well, I’ll be going. Thank you for everything. I’ll come back to say hello next time.”

I picked up the luggage I had put down on the ground.

The Mountain God grinned.

“Oh, yeah. You know you can’t come empty-handed, right? If you’re coming, bring a lot of alcohol. Then I’ll welcome you. Hehe!”

When was he sprinkling salt, and now he’s telling me to come?

I chuckled and looked up at Cheonwisan Mountain for a moment.

Cheonwisan Mountain was majestic as always.

I could still feel many living things wriggling, and I could smell the clear air and the dense mana [spiritual energy].

“Cheonwisan is a good mountain.”

“Of course, it is. Who do you think is the Mountain God?”

“Are you satisfied with your mountain life?”

“Huh? Well, what’s there to be satisfied with? It’s my territory, so I’m just here.”

The Mountain God frowned.

“And you know, even though it seems like I’m trapped, I go out and about. Where do you think the alcohol and snacks I drink come from? Don’t bother me and go quickly. Shoo! Shoo!”

The Mountain God waved his hand as if to chase away something annoying.

I stared at the Mountain God and said.

“I can’t do it right away… but someday I’ll get your name back. When that time comes, you have to help me?”

“……!”

The Mountain God’s body stopped abruptly.

The playful eyes were shaking greatly.

“You, how did you know….”

“Then I’ll see you next time. Goodbye.”

I went down the mountain as it was.

At the entrance of the mountain, the warrior squad and the vehicle for transportation were waiting to escort me.

Finally, the one year of life in Cheonwisan Mountain came to an end.

* * *

The Mountain God stood at the end of the mountain and watched Lee Cheol leave.

“Hehe.”

The Mountain God, with wide eyes, chuckled and grabbed the back of his neck.

“How the heck did he know that?”

The Mountain God recalled a story related to a foolish goblin.

Once upon a time. A story from a long time ago, but not so long ago that tigers smoked [a Korean idiom for a very long time ago].

There was a goblin who roamed all over the country.

Even among the goblins who liked people, that goblin especially liked people, and because he liked alcohol and human food, he caused all sorts of trouble.

Then, the goblin met a warrior famous in the country.

The man subdued the goblin, lectured him, and then released him.

However, the goblin, who could not admit his defeat, demanded a wrestling match with the man.

To the goblin, wrestling was not a game of grabbing the belt and rolling on the dirt floor.

It was closer to a duel than a match, and closer to a ritual than a duel.

And in that important fight, the goblin lost.

The goblin had to grant the man’s wish, and the man asked the goblin for two things.

To manage the mountain and help the trainees.

Create a test and select the trainees.

Thus, the goblin, who liked to make fun of people, became the Mountain God of a certain mountain and lived happily ever after.

……So far is the known story.

As with all old stories, it was a distorted story.

As time passed, there was a back story that only a very few people knew.

What the man asked the goblin was actually only one thing.

The man demanded the goblin’s name.

The goblin’s name was the essence itself, so the goblin had his soul mortgaged to the man.

The story of protecting the mountain or helping the training was only what the man ordered after that.

-It won’t be a bad story. It will be boring, but that’s your fault.

-If a child who inherited my blood returns your name to you someday, then our contract will end.

“…….”

It was not a bad time, even though he was deprived of his freedom.

This was because it was caused by his own fault in running wild in the first place.

Moreover, life in Cheonwisan Mountain was sometimes boring, but there was no shortage.

Cheonwisan Mountain was also the perfect place for goblins living in harmony with nature.

Although he lost a lot of power along with his name, he also gained new power by serving as the Mountain God.

Even if he was deprived of his freedom, he went to this mountain and that mountain and wandered around here and there.

But, in the end, he was a bound body.

From the distant past that could not be counted, until now.

‘How did he find out… tsk, he’s a strange guy, so he must know somehow. But hehe, he’s going to give me my name back.’

No one knew how to get the name back.

Not even the Mountain God himself, and probably none of the few people who know about the behind-the-scenes story know how to do it.

Lee Hyul-hyun hid it on purpose.

But that kid mentioned the name.

Perhaps, as Lee Hyul-hyun said, Lee Cheol might be the child who could return his name to him.

Then, the Mountain God frowned.

“Ah, that cheeky bastard! He just went away when I was curious? He just put empty air in and left!”

The Mountain God roared out his anger.

The mountain birds that had flown over and sat on the branches flew up in a hurry.

“Hey! I’ll have to sprinkle salt!”

The Mountain God shoved his hand into the salt container and sprinkled it around.

* * *

On the way back to the main house after finishing a year of training.

I smiled as I recalled the face of the Mountain God, who was so embarrassed that he couldn’t even speak properly.

‘The Mountain God’s name… to be honest, I don’t know exactly either.’

I remembered the hidden story because I had heard it in my previous life.

But in fact, I don’t know exactly how to get the name back.

If there is one thing I know.

‘There was a mention when the documents on Black Night were excavated.’

In the end, the Mountain God’s name was also related to the sealing of Black Night.

Someday, when that day comes, I plan to return the name without hesitation.

Of course, I don’t plan to return it for free.

“Young Master. We will return to the family.”

“No. Could you please go to the ancestral tomb first?”

“If you mean the ancestral tomb… are you talking about Sungmoo Mountain?”

“Yes, please. I’ll just say hello and come back.”

“I understand.”

It was because I had to release the seal of Black Night.

Leaving behind the escorts who were quite annoyed, I climbed Sungmoo Mountain again.

After releasing another seal, I headed to the main house somewhat late.

The main house of Sungmoo Lee.

The three-gate (三門) [a traditional Korean gate with three entrances], like the entrance to the palace, stood tall.

And an unexpected person was waiting for me inside that gate.

“Chief Butler Choi.”

“It’s been a while. Young Master. Have you been well?”

Chief Butler Choi smiled gently and continued.

“Thank you for coming out to meet me.”

I didn’t expect my aunt, but I thought maybe my nanny would come out, but I didn’t expect Chief Butler Choi.

‘No, I expected it.’

It was not difficult to guess why Chief Butler Choi came all the way here to meet me.

“My father called me.”

“Yes, that’s right. The head of the family is waiting. I’ll have someone move your luggage to your room, so please go to the main building right away.”

The first thing that happened after returning to the main house.

It was my father’s call.