Chapter 7
Lee Hyun had applied for an outing from the hospital.
Although the hospital tried to discourage him, saying the tests weren’t complete, his persistence was so strong that eventually, Ko Jinwoo had to vouch for him, and he was allowed to go out.
“You have a good friend, huh?”
“Brother Soo-chan is one of the few connections he left behind. He and I were very close.”
“Hmm.”
Son Goku seemed to be reflecting on the name of the person who had almost become his apostle.
It was hard to tell what he was thinking.
“But, does Daeseong not appear to others at all?”
In fact, Lee Hyun’s biggest concern when bringing Son Goku out was Son Goku himself.
He had grown accustomed to Son Goku by now, but if a white monkey started speaking in front of other people, it would have been a big shock.
Fortunately, Son Goku was invisible to anyone but Lee Hyun.
“It’s because of a lack of connection.”
“Are you saying it’s because there’s no point of contact with Daeseong?”
“Yes. Normally, I should be invisible to you too, but because you’ve taken on a significant amount of my karma and possess [Eyes], you can see me. You even oversaw the summoning invitation.”
It later turned out that Lee Hyun’s appointment as a priest in the royal temple had been a major help in his temporary apostle designation.
Lee Hyun had created a bond with Son Goku, one that wasn’t originally there.
“But where exactly are we going? This is not the direction of my myth.”
“I’m thinking of stopping by Jongno 3-ga first.”
“What’s there?”
“My doppelgänger.”
“…?”
Son Goku tilted his head.
“It’s a hardware store.”
Son Goku, as a martial god who sought his own style of martial arts, was naturally very interested in weapons.
Especially now, in an era where myths and legends were once again running wild in the form of dungeons, a reinterpretation of modern inventions was leading to an influx of various kinds of armaments.
“So, is your doppelgänger the one you used to wield?”
“Yes. It’s my weapon. Now that I’ve found mana, I thought I might be able to use it again.”
“Oh?”
“Though I have the Ruyi Bang now, in truth, I can’t use it as a weapon yet.”
“Hmm! I see. I guess that’s true. After all, you haven’t officially become an apostle yet. Until then, you’d need a weapon, right?”
The current functions of the Ruyi Bang were [Rapid Healing] and [Metabolic Regulation].
While those were already incredible abilities, they were still only a small part of the Ruyi Bang’s full potential.
So, Lee Hyun needed a real weapon.
A weapon like the one Jet had used.
‘A weapon… I wonder what will come out.’
Son Goku, who had observed Lee Hyun, knew that he was an exceptionally talented hunter.
He was curious about what kind of weapon Lee Hyun might have used, as he seemed adept at wielding them.
‘It needs to be compatible with that weird brain-like thing, the two-armed creature or whatever it is.’
Son Goku chuckled as he thought about Lee Hyun’s mana, which, while electrical in nature, felt dark and sharp like a shadow.
“Excuse me.”
Lee Hyun entered the most shabby of the many hardware stores.
There was no proper signboard.
However,
Whooosh!
As soon as he opened the heavy iron door, a hot wind rushed past him.
Inside, an elderly man with copper-colored skin was hammering away at metal.
Thwang! Thwang! Thwang!
Even when a customer entered, the elderly man didn’t even glance their way, completely focused on his work.
“Grandpa, I’ve come to pick up the item I left with you earlier.”
Thwang! Thwang!
“Should I go find it myself?”
Thwang! Thwang!
“You don’t have to trouble yourself.”
Thwang! Thwang!
Lee Hyun didn’t wait for the old man’s response and walked to a corner where a small warehouse was set up.
“… What’s going on with that guy?”
Son Goku let out a breath he had been holding in after the hot wind passed.
“What is it? He’s clearly emitting the aura of ‘Tao Tie’.”
[Four Foul Creatures: Tao Tie]
A monster that devours everything in sight. Among its favorites is metal.
The metal it excretes contains a mixture of all the things it has consumed, displaying a variety of types and materials.
-
Origin: From the legend “Monsters of the Shan Hai Jing.”
Through his insight into the old man, Son Goku could see numerous legends and myths interwoven.
This was no mere apostle.
“He used to make weapons for my unit. It should be somewhere around here… Found it.”
Lee Hyun found a box stuck in a pile of various items, barely noticeable due to the dust covering it, but it was familiar to him.
It was something he had left with the old man four years ago, certain he would come back for it.
“A supplier? Seriously?”
“Of course, he didn’t make weapons for just anyone. Whatever the standard was, he only made them for those who met his approval.”
Lee Hyun smiled as he tore off the tape from the box.
“And this is the custom item he made for me back then.”
He opened the box to reveal a folded army uniform from the Cheongraebu (Blue-Raid) and three hand axes laid on top.
Modern axes, often used in camping.
[Teeth of Tao Tie]
Axes that represent the monstrous appetite and greed of the Four Foul Creatures. Each one craves metal, flesh, and blood.
-
Type: Axe. One-handed weapon.
-
Origin: From the legend of “Four Foul Creatures.”
“Quite fierce, aren’t they?”
Son Goku’s eyes widened as he recognized the legendary axes.
“Yes. They were originally made to maximize the properties of the ‘Dweoksini’s Breath.’”
[Teeth of Tao Tie] were each named: “Sikcheol (Eating Metal),” “Galyuk (Thirst for Flesh),” and “Gyohyeol (Gnawing Blood)”.
These were cruel names, made only for the purpose of destruction.
Sometimes, they even threatened their own owner, Lee Hyun.
But they resonated perfectly with [Dweoksini’s Breath].
The more suppressed emotions exploded, the stronger the effect of the axes.
It was as though the axes unleashed thunder, like the moment they had slain the Queen of Snow.
‘Although they were severely damaged back then and Grandpa had to practically remake them, their power remains unchanged.’
Lee Hyun caressed the axes after a long time.
‘No, they’re even stronger now.’
When he touched only the backs, without the sharp edges, his finger was scratched and blood began to drip.
Lee Hyun smiled slightly, realizing the axes had awakened something deep within him.
‘The Queen of Snow left her grudge on the axes, didn’t she?’
With a slight laugh, Lee Hyun put the axes back into his bag with the other equipment.
“Luckily, it looks like I can use them again.”
“You only handled them when you were a Ranker, didn’t you? What if it’s not as easy as you think?”
“It might actually be better this way.”
“Hm?”
“The fiercer they are, the quicker my skills will come back. Plus, the more I feel like I’m about to get eaten, the more alert I’ll stay, which is good training.”
“Ha, you crazy fool.”
Son Goku looked at him as though he had seen the craziest person in the world but said nothing.
For martial artists, that level of madness was necessary to become stronger. Son Goku had gone through it himself.
“So you didn’t bother with any other protection gear?” Son Goku asked.
“I figured it’s better to train my body first.”
Lee Hyun placed the items that symbolized Jet back in the box, then slid it back into place.
‘Someday…’
Inside, there were even more vicious or higher-level items than the Teeth of Tao Tie—even holy relics.
But Lee Hyun planned to return only once he was fully prepared.
“Grandpa, I’m going now.”
He waved lightly at the elderly man before leaving the smithy.
The old man, still silent, continued hammering away.
Thwang! Thwang!!
