Chapter 48
On the altar appeared a snake, its entire body formed of pitch-black darkness.
“Shiiik!”
A snake.
[‘Shadow’]
- Category: Equipment/Weapon
- Grade: Masterpiece
- Description: A snake born in a grand workshop, imbued with the power of a constellation. This shadowy being contains countless potential within the light of that night sky.
- Effect: Changes form according to the user’s will.
A very simple description.
But the short description means there are few restrictions.
“Shiiik?”
‘Shadow’ twisted its small head back and forth, observing the surroundings.
Then, upon noticing me, it wagged its tail like a puppy.
“Shiiik! Shiiiik!”
The creature slithered up my arm, licking my cheek with its thin tongue.
“That tickles.”
“Shiiik~ Shik-shik~.”
It nuzzled against my face, showing affection, seemingly very pleased.
‘Does it see me as its parent?’
The powers of constellations each have unique effects.
While all these powers can be considered overpowered, they also come with significant drawbacks.
For instance, the power of the ‘Archer’ constellation grants the ability to hit any target without fail, but with a substantial decrease in durability.
The ‘Scorpion’ constellation has a potent venom, but it also affects the user.
And the ‘Libra’ constellation’s ability is utterly absurd, as it “shares the damage between the user and the opponent.”
‘It might be intriguing with the right build, but…’
For someone focusing on swordsmanship like me in this round, they’re double-edged swords.
That’s why I chose the ‘Serpent-Bearer’ constellation.
The ability of the Serpent-Bearer is…
“Shiiik~ Shiiik~.”
To grant equipment a ‘sense of self.’
In other words, it turns the equipment into an Ego Weapon.
In the Valdeon Saga community, however, this ability didn’t receive much praise.
[Who the hell recommended the Serpent-Bearer?]
This crazy sword killed me in battle by stabbing me.
I’ve never died by my own weapon before. It’s just ridiculous.
User 11.34: Haha, another one fell for it.
User 34.1: You trusted the axe and got your foot cut, didn’t you, woodsman gamer…?
User 12.45: You got conned by the “Ego Sword romantics.” Serpent-Bearer is total trash.
Even with a mind of its own, it doesn’t respond as desired in critical situations.
There were numerous instances where it would sulk, betray, or outright refuse to cooperate.
‘But still, how can anyone resist this?’
A weapon with its own personality.
Isn’t this the kind of concept that strikes at the heart of every enthusiast?
I was one of those enthusiasts.
So, I researched ways to make use of the Serpent-Bearer.
And finally, I discovered an incredible piece of equipment.
‘Shadow’
I gently scratched its head.
“Let’s get along, Shadow.”
“Shiiik~!”
“Hm… But it feels a bit inconvenient to keep calling you ‘Shadow.’ Maybe I should give you a proper name?”
This is just my theory, but…
Naming creatures like this usually fosters a sense of bonding.
‘It’s a sleek, black snake with a luxurious look.’
Instead of complicated English, two elegant characters in Hanja should suffice.
“…I’ve decided.”
I stroked the body coiled around my arm and spoke.
“Your name is Black Lotus (흑련) from now on.”
“Shiiik…?! Shik-shik!”
Overjoyed to have a name, Black Lotus wriggled its body as if dancing.
***
The next day, at the training grounds.
Elma saw Black Lotus clinging to my body and spoke.
“A snake… I’ve never seen one like this before. It looks like a creature shaped from the night sky itself.”
When she carefully reached out a hand toward Black Lotus, it playfully slapped her hand with its tail.
“Shiiik!”
“…It’s got quite a personality.”
“Shiiik~.”
Black Lotus gently brushed against the back of my hand, as if asking for praise.
“Haha… It seems a bit possessive.”
After spending the night with it, I realized that Black Lotus, unlike other instances of ‘Shadow’ I’d obtained in previous rounds, seemed to have a strong affection for me from the very start.
There were some ‘Shadows’ that were easy to befriend, while others, no matter how much effort was put into bonding, never felt a true connection. The personalities vary in each round.
“Shiiik~.”
Black Lotus seemed to like me to an excessive degree.
The energy it emitted felt a bit much for just parental affection.
‘Anyway.’
This works in my favour.
There’s no better partner than a ‘Shadow’ with high loyalty.
“No matter how capable Lan is, it wouldn’t be appropriate to bring animals into Polaris…”
“No need to worry. This one isn’t exactly an animal.”
“Pardon?”
Explaining would take too long; it’s better to show her.
“Black Lotus.”
“Shiiik!”
At my signal, Black Lotus transformed into a shadow and condensed in my hand.
Swoosh!
In less than a second, the snake morphed into a sword.
‘Shadow Sword’
A black sword, from blade to hilt, identical in colour to Black Lotus.
The unique feature of the Shadow Sword, however, is that…
‘It has a constellation embedded within.’
A sparkling Serpent-Bearer constellation marked the side of the blade.
“A snake turned into a sword…!”
Elma flinched in surprise.
I hadn’t even shown the true extent of its abilities yet.
Swish!
I transformed Black Lotus into various types of swords.
A great sword, a rapier, dual swords, and a dagger…
However, Black Lotus can transform into more than just swords.
Swish! Clank!
A shadowy gauntlet covered my hands, with the Serpent-Bearer constellation shimmering on the back of my hand.
“Could you step aside for a moment, Senior? I need to test something.”
“Oh, yes.”
Clenching my fist, I recalled an old memory.
‘During that duel with Reina.’
When I used my qi without a sword, I struggled because I didn’t receive any enhancement from my talent.
Of course, my body instinctively remembers how to handle qi, allowing me to manage it far better than my peers.
‘But it’s true that it was lacking compared to a sword.’
So, I intended to fill in that gap with this.
Woong!
I focused my Qi into my fist.
The Serpent-Bearer constellation on Black Lotus resonated with the energy and shone brightly.
‘Black Lotus itself is a masterpiece of equipment.’
The true essence of the Shadow is revealed here.
By wielding this piece alone…
‘It’s as if I possess all types of masterpiece-grade weapons.’
Shimmer!
The shape of my fist, imbued with qi, appeared stable, unlike when I used it bare-handed.
Clench!
I gathered strength in my fist.
And brought it down with force.
“Steel Fist”
A colossal fist struck the ground.
Boom-!!
The impact echoed through the ground as if a meteor had fallen.
The hard ground shattered and crumbled into pieces.
“Wow…”
Even though I was the one who did it, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the unexpected power.
This shows the importance of having good equipment.
‘The technique itself changes entirely.’
A bit arrogant, maybe, but…
Had I used this Steel Fist against Reina, she would have ended up in the hospital instead of me.
“Shiiik~!”
Black Lotus, seemingly done with the task, reverted to its snake form and climbed up my arm.
One of the Shadow’s advantages lies in its indestructible flexibility.
‘Quite literally, it’s impossible to destroy.’
It’s no wonder this was my favourite piece of equipment in the game.
“…Every time we meet, you seem to turn into more of a monster. It’s hard for me to keep my dignity,” Elma remarked with a chuckle, approaching.
After glancing at the hole in the ground, she turned her gaze back to me and Black Lotus.
“Shiiik!”
Black Lotus proudly puffed out its chest.
Though, as a snake, it’s unclear where its chest actually is.
“In any case, I can see that it’s no ordinary snake. There are plenty of weapons that can change shape, so it belongs in that category.”
Elma nodded in understanding.
She then murmured as she looked into the distance.
“It’s the festival next week already.”
Only one week until the Festival of Stars.
The festival atmosphere was already filling Polaris, as preparations had begun early due to the festival’s large scale this year.
“It’s a bit cheesy, but we’ll be the stars of this festival.”
“To think Senior Elma would say something like that. You must be quite confident?”
“It’s not confidence, but trust. Trust in the efforts you and I have put in until now.”
Elma smiled with a hint of bitterness.
“I have to win.”
That expression I’d seen before.
Whenever Elma had that look…
“Is this related to your family?”
“…Yes.”
It always involved her family.
“I’ve been wondering since before. Why do you dislike your family so much, Senior?”
“Well, that’s….”
“Oh, you don’t have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable. I just get curious every time you make that face.”
I spoke as I casually sat on the shattered debris.
“I just find it strange that someone like you, a senior, is still tied down by your family.”
“……”
Elma quietly sat beside me.
“I’ll tell you.”
“If you feel pressured, really, it’s okay….”
“No, it’s not that. I just… I think I can share this with you, Lan.”
And so.
Elma began to tell her story.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment