Chapter 233: The Marksman 2
[Bhilante Family Guardian Dagger]
Category: Weapon
Grade: A
Durability: 26,000
Effect: When an opponent who has antipathy towards the dagger’s holder approaches, it is possible to grasp the opponent’s existence and identity.
Bhilante was the family that Reinhardt was associated with while he was alive. The Bhilante Family had been famous for producing many paladins.
The family had quickly fallen apart once Reinhardt died. Furthermore, since their downfall happened so long ago, it was difficult to come across any of the family’s treasures.
‘With this, I’ll have acquired one more mythical ability, drawing me closer to the gods.’
To be sure, he had artifacts like Andvaranaut, but he had to be careful since he only had three out of the five ability slots open.
On the other hand, the Bhilante Family Guardian Dagger was an artifact that would undoubtedly be included in one of his empty ability slots.
Though the inherent effect of the artifact itself was frankly nothing, it had tremendous value to Woohyuk.
“It’s a very valuable gift,” Woohyuk stated appreciatively.
“Now I can finally rest. In the blink of an eye, a long time has passed. Young man, I entrust you with all the things that I wasn’t able to do,” Reinhardt replied with a gentle tone.
“Do not worry. I will surely set everything in its right place.”
“That’s a very convincing tone. I don’t exactly know why, but I feel relieved..”
Rumble. Scatter.
Reinhardt’s body turned into pure white smoke and began to scatter in the air.
Soon, nothing was left of Reinhardt, emphasizing the point that he was not corporeal from the beginning.
Reinhardt had existed for thousands of years as an illusion because of his unfulfilled mission. Finally, he could rest.
After somberly commemorating his death with Helena, Woohyuk immediately moved to the place where a soul stone could be seen.
“Is it that?”
“Yes. That’s the soul stone.”
A hexagonal blue crystal floated above a magic circle that was created with mystical magic.
Helena looked worried when Woohyuk put it in his pocket.
“Wouldn’t the gods in heaven come to earth to take it back? Since the Creator will descend at any moment, I’m a little worried about angering the gods,” Helena worryingly asked.
“Regardless, we have to face them someday. Furthermore, it’s a necessary item for the Epic Quest, so there’s no way around it,” Woohyuk replied.
There was a lot of work still left to do, but the amount of time and mental energy needed to complete those tasks was quickly winding down.
This was not the time to hesitate, even if it meant angering the gods and bringing greater trouble later on.
Roan nodded vigorously as if he agreed,
“That’s right, Master. It’s better to have a one-night stand than worry about the aftermath. In that sense..”
“Helena, if that guy keeps spewing bullshit, cut his testicles off,” Woohyuk said in a tired voice.
“Got it. A Homunculus’ reproductive function doesn’t really provide us much value anyway,” Helena said as she glanced down at Roan’s lower body with cold, uncaring eyes.
Roan was so frightened by this quick progression that he covered his mouth with both hands.
“Roan is going to be dumb now! I’ve become sick of talking!” Roan screamed between the hands that covered his mouth.
“Good. Then let’s go to the Aize Kingdom now.”
He would have to go to the Aize Kingdom and find the three remaining ingredients for the Seven Color Rainbow Ring.
In order to get them, it was inevitable to have a clash with the Witch Cult.
Woohyuk hurriedly walked out of the area while imagining Aleister’s evil smile.
***
The Aize Kingdom was not far from the Northern Seas’ Island.
“Achoo!”
That is, it wasn’t far if they crossed the northernmost point of this world.
Once they crossed the north pole, they moved southward to where the Seven Color Rainbow Ring materials were supposedly being transported to.
Woohyuk and his party first sailed to the northern-most point of the world before descending southward down a steep mountain range.
“You must be very cold,” Woohyuk commented.
“Well, should I be warm then?! Even in this freezing cold blizzard, we’re wandering through the coldest valleys,” Helena complained as she shuddered.
She was riding Pegasus with Woohyuk.
Meanwhile, Roan was following them while levitating in the air.
‘No matter what, don’t open your mouth!’ Roan kept repeating this thought over and over in his head.
“What happened to the Sage that you mentioned? The one who said he was moving to the east. If he had found the Nag Hammadi, he would have contacted you already, right?” Woohyuk asked Helena.
“There’s no news from him yet. I’ve tried contacting him, but he’s not replying to any of my messages,” Helena replied.
Through the GPS-like location system built into the communication artifact that he took, it seemed that he was not dead.
After hearing Helena’s explanation, Woohyuk made an uncomfortable expression,
“Then, we can’t rule out the possibility that he was kidnapped by someone.”
“It can’t be ruled out. However, Arhen is a member of my group, so he wouldn’t easily succumb to anyone.”
The title of Sage wasn’t attached to just anyone.
While Helena was explaining the power of those who followed Etheria Rodinus, Woohyuk suddenly stopped Pegasus.
“What happened? Why did you stop so suddenly?” Helena asked in surprise.
“Look down there.”
Woohyuk pointed to a pack of Frost Giants that were trudging along down the mountain range.
Helena’s complexion turned dark as she muttered,
“They’re also heading south.”
“Do you think their movement has something to do with the Witch Cult?” Woohyuk asked.
“I don’t know. If anything, the Frost Giants are supposed to be a neutral force..”
Being a neutral force was troublesome in many ways.
It meant that they were not friendly with either side and were difficult to compromise with.
However, Woohyuk knew one of their secrets,
“Have you ever heard of the Frost Queen?”
“.. Isn’t that the artifact you used to make ice golems last time?”
“Yeah. I used the Frost Queen’s Necklace.”
She was a barbarian leader who subjugated the Frost Giants in ancient times, Frost Queen Ariandne.
However, for some reason, Ariandne’s existence was forgotten, and the Frost Giants fell into a long period of hibernation.
“So, you’re saying you can subjugate them with the Frost Queen’s Necklace?” asked Helena.
“Sure. Another overlord also succeeded in subjugating the Frost Giants in the past,” answered Woohyuk.
That other overlord was Marcus.
A person who was currently working in the Duchy of Yen (Yen Principality) or the Theresian Empire.
Woohyuk never figured out how Marcus was able to subjugate the Frost Giants in his previous life. However, he was able to find out the truth when he returned to this world.
“He’s a bold man to try and tame those spectacular giants with one artifact,” Helena responded.
“He definitely had a bold side. After losing his wife and child, that boldness turned into madness, though,” Woohyuk muttered quietly.
Woohyuk knew that, like Logan, overlord Marcus was a troublesome person who had to be eliminated someday.
After Helena and Roan took their places on Pegasus, Woohyuk spread his abyssal wings and flew down to the ground alone.
“Let’s talk for a minute,” Woohyuk calmy said.
“..”
Hwi-Eek!
When Woohyuk spoke, the Frost Giant in front of the pack swung its fist.
It seemed that the Frost Giant, after seeing the abyssal wings, thought that the person in front of it was a demon, an entity that the Frost Giants were forbidden to get along with.
Woohyuk lightly avoided the attack and then spoke aloud again,
“I’m not here to fight. I have nothing to do with the Witches Cult, either.”
“..”
When the word ‘Witches Cult’ came up, the Frost Giant at the front stopped in place.
Afterward, it turned its head and exchanged glances with its people, who had stopped together at this point.
And then..
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
With the sound of heavy steps, all the Frost Giants rushed towards Woohyuk at once.
Their eyes were completely open as if to say that he shouldn’t dare move against them.
‘I have no choice but to show them an example.’
There was a custom of worshiping strong warriors among the Frost Giants.
So, once they were overwhelmed in battle, the giants would start listening to the other party.
Knowing this, Woohyuk rushed to the strongest-looking Frost Giant.
Crack!
As Woohyuk grabbed the Frost Giant’s arm and twisted it, he heard the sound of its joints bending and then cracking.
He didn’t stop. He then ran up the giant’s forearm and then kicked the giant’s nether regions with all his might.
Pop!
historical
“..!”
At the moment of impact, the Frost Giant opened its eyes wide before crumbling down to the ground.
The other giants who saw this stopped moving forward. All of them had nervous expressions on their faces.
“Even if all of you come at me, I’m confident that I’ll win. I’m trying to speak to you all instead because I have something to say,” Woohyuk said aloud before reaching into his pocket and taking out the Frost Queen’s Necklace.
Once they saw the necklace, the frost giants fell in place, frightened.
“Ah, it’s Ariandne’s Relic!”
“My people, we are saved! The successor to Queen Frost has finally appeared!”
To the Frost Giants, Ariandne was an absolute being.
As the giants became compliant, Woohyuk asked questions with a stern expression,
“Where are you guys going?”
“To a battlefield in the south. More humans are coming in than they thought, so even we’ve been summoned to come down south.”
According to the words of the Frost Giants, humans were very hostile to the giants awakening.
So, the Frost Giants began to oppose humans, and as a result, ethnic wars continued on in the Aize Kingdom.
“Are there any witches among those humans?”
“Yes. We’ve also seen many groups that are the Witches Cult’s worshipers. Some of the humans turn into ugly monsters.”
The monster the Frost Giant was talking about meant Awakeners.
This meant that the Qliphoth Fruit was also circulating in the Aize Kingdom.
Woohyuk nodded his head and pointed to the fallen frost giant that was foaming at the mouth.
“Make a stretcher and put that guy on it. I’ll be going with you all. I will also do battle on the battlefield.”
“Huh? But first, why don’t you meet our tribal leader in the north? We don’t know when this war will end or how long it will go on..”
“That’s difficult. I can’t afford to waste any time.”
If he couldn’t secure the materials for the Seven Color Rainbow Ring with this opportunity, his overall plan could go awry.
Without elucidating what he meant to the confused Frost Giants, Woohyuk unfolded the map of the Aize Kingdom.
***
The war between the Frost Giants and the humans was fierce.
Initially, the Aize Kingdom had the upper hand, but the situation changed rapidly as the human survivors fled to the south and asked for help from the Theresian Empire.
With the Theresian Empire’s advanced siege weapons and the onslaught of magic spells from the mages, the Frost Giants struggled to defend.
‘Furthermore, the Witches Cult is using that confusion to rapidly grow in power.’
For the soldiers on the battlefield, who had a hard time surviving, the Qliphoth Fruit was an irresistible temptation.
Many secretly bought it to increase their survival rate, and later they unknowingly became Aleister’s faithful servants.
Of course, the atmosphere at the end of the century also contributed greatly to the expansion of the Witches Cult.
Hedonistic human group orgies were widespread, so the popularity of Witches, who whispering sweet words while the gods remained silent, rose sharply.
During this chaotic situation, the material for the Seven Color Rainbow Ring was being transported to a fortress prison under the Witches’ control in the southern part of the Aize Kingdom.
It was as if someone was challenging Woohyuk.
‘It’s like Aleister is saying take it if you can.’
As he stared at the fortress prison over the snowy field, Woohyuk made a bitter expression.
He felt like he was being forced into a place that he knew was a trap.
However, he couldn’t do anything about it.
“What are you going to do now? Are you going to lead the Frost Giants and charge in?”
“I have no intention of doing anything that obvious. Actually, I’m expecting them to be charging at us pretty soon.”
The surroundings were strangely quiet despite being such an important place.
As Woohyuk frowned at the peaceful scenery, a magical bullet flew towards his heart from a distance.
Ta-a-a-a-ang!