Chapter 48: The Man Who Covets My Weapon

A tremendous roar echoed from the sky.

I’d never heard anything like it before, but I imagined that must be what a meteorite falling sounds like.

I lifted my head and gazed upward.

Something was plummeting, making a noise as if it were tearing the air apart.

It was at least three times larger than my torso, and clearly, it was no ordinary meteorite.

It was the World Tree’s pinecone, the one that had burst out of my smartphone screen.

The pinecone had shot up so high it was nearly out of sight, but now, having exhausted its force, it was plummeting back down.

“Should I really have accepted it now?”

Its sheer power made me second-guess myself.

Maybe it would have been better to use it later as an offensive skill instead.

Judging by the roar, which I’d never heard before, it seemed even the Cyclops would be no match for it.

I stepped back a little from where the meteorite—or rather, the pinecone—looked like it would land.

Kwaang!

“H-ha, haha…!”

A hollow laugh escaped me.

I was unbelievably lucky that this was a special event location.

If this had been an asphalt road or a dirt ground, there would surely have been a huge crater.

Anyone who saw that crater would’ve gossiped about a meteor strike or a sudden sinkhole.

As originally intended, I used the newly acquired skill to store the pinecone.

“Inventory.”

A bluish inventory window floated before my eyes.

Just as the skill window had described, it had a total of 50 slots.

In the upper right corner were X and gear icons, clearly representing exit and settings buttons.

I pressed the settings button first.

[Inventory Basic Settings]

[Please check desired options]

[□ When picking up and registering items, touch and use “Warm Touch”]

[□ When storing items, use “Warm Touch” and call out the item’s name]

[□ When retrieving items, use “Warm Touch” and call out the item’s name]

[* Location and ejection speed adjustable]

[Location – △ Register location]

[Speed – △ Slow △ Normal △ Fast △ At Sprout’s discretion]

All the options seemed useful, so I checked them all.

As I clicked, one particular option stood out.

It was the setting for adjusting ejection speed.

[△ At Sprout’s discretion]

Why would Sprout be allowed to control the ejection speed of items from the inventory?

As I pondered this, I recalled how Sprout used to spit dirt and hurl stones.

Maybe letting Sprout eject items from the inventory would work the same way.

I stared silently at the pinecone before me.

That pinecone, which had looked as if it had been launched like a missile.

[The World Tree Sprout recommends that the caretaker selects “at discretion” for this item.]

“I was going to even if you didn’t nag me.”

After selecting the “at Sprout’s discretion” option, I closed the settings window.

Then I transferred the pinecone and everything in my magic pouch into the inventory.

No matter the size of the item, each one took up only one slot in the inventory.

Inside the magic pouch were Arca, Shadow’s Eye, split stone fragments, Snow Herb, and so on.

While transferring the items into the inventory—

“Huh? This isn’t mine.”

I discovered an unfamiliar item in the magic pouch.

It was an elegant-looking black cardboard box.

When I took it out and opened it, there was a pair of white wristguards inside.

Neatly placed on top was a black envelope with the golden letters “PTAH” written on it.

PTAH was a forge belonging to a major group.

Though it hadn’t been launched for long, it had rapidly grown thanks to a high-end strategy targeting A-rank Hunters.

They hadn’t even needed to hire a promotional model.

Whenever the Coincidence Party equipped their gear, it became its own advertisement.

I opened the envelope and pulled out the paper inside to read it.

[“Certificate of Authenticity”]

[This certificate guarantees the product you have purchased is genuine PTAH merchandise.]

[Product Name – “Armus”]

[Notice – Crafted from “Gwisusan Steel Alloy,” rated A-grade for defense.]

[The wearer can use the item skill “A-grade Shield Magic.” The activation word for the shield magic is “Tututh.”]

[※This certificate is essential for any repair requests.]

[Please keep this certificate safe, as service is only available upon presentation.]

[The free after-sales period is one year from the date of purchase.]

“Did Coincidence leave this for me?”

He was the one who gave me this magic pouch.

No one else could’ve put these wristguards in here.

He must’ve tucked them in before handing it to me at the Hongyur Gate.

No wonder he insisted so firmly that it was mine, almost embarrassingly so…

I took off the Knoll leather wristguard I’d been wearing on my left arm and put it in the magic pouch.

I’d kept wearing it because I didn’t want to waste something I’d had specially made, but since I’d gotten something better, it was time to switch.

I took out Armus from the box and put it on.

It fit my wrist perfectly, as if it had been custom-made, and the part covering the back of my hand was neither irritating nor uncomfortable.

“Tututh.”

The moment I spoke the activation word, shield magic flared on my left forearm.

The blue-tinged magic shield was big enough to cover my entire torso.

I was completely satisfied with both its appearance and its performance.

The next time I see him, I’ll have to thank him for this great gift.

[It has been confirmed that the caretaker has received all rewards from the special event.]

[Would you like to leave this place? (YES / NO)]

Of course, I should leave.

I deactivated the shield magic and selected “yes.”

[Transmitting caretaker outside.]

[Please look forward to future events.]

[- PG Corporation.]

As soon as the message appeared, white light burst out from my smartphone and enveloped my body.

Gradually, the glare faded, and I slowly opened my eyes.

Before I knew it, I had returned to the parking lot.

I was back where I’d been before moving to the special event location.

There was one thing that had changed: the time.

The dark night sky was gone, and the sun was high in the sky.

When I checked the time, it was almost 2 p.m., well past lunchtime.

“It’s already this late?”

It felt like only a few hours had passed.

But in reality, not just a few hours, but half a day had gone by.

Next time there’s a special event, I’d better pay attention to the time.

Otherwise, I might lose an entire day.

Brrr…!

The smartphone in my hand started to vibrate.

I tried to answer, thinking it was a call, but it wasn’t.

“Why are there so many messages?”

Messages kept pouring in, the vibrations never stopping.

It was the same thing that happened when I came out of a Gate with no signal.

The lost signal had reconnected after I left the special event location, so all the messages had come in at once.

“Did something happen?”

I tilted my head at the unusually high number of messages.

Meanwhile, I opened my palm.

I wanted to retrieve my car key from the inventory.

With the registration system, I could set the location where items from the inventory would appear.

I’d set the car key to appear in my right palm.

A moment later, the car key popped up right on my palm.

It hovered briefly before landing in my hand, and I used it to unlock the car.

While I did that, the phone’s vibrations finally stopped.

All the messages had come through.

Getting in the car, I started to check them.

The first thing that caught my eye was a single message from Yu Jae-i.

[Baek Dowoon, don’t come to the forge today.]

“……?”

What did this terse, forceful message mean?

I wondered if I’d done something wrong, but nothing came to mind.

Maybe it was just that Yu Jae-i didn’t know me well, since we hadn’t spent much time together.

Did she really think that if she told me not to come when I’d done nothing wrong, I’d obediently reply, “Okay, I won’t go”?

“No way.”

I opened the group chat to read the rest of the messages.

In the chatroom created by Shim Yunjin, both she and Kim Jiyeon were present.

Coincidence had been invited, but he hadn’t joined.

If he was ignoring an invite from his own party member, he was probably in a Gate.

Like me, he wouldn’t have had any signal to receive messages.

[Kim Jiyeon: Jae-i told me not to tell you, but I have to. Kim Muyeon barged into the forge.]

Kim Muyeon…?

That name sounded familiar.

“…Ah! The guy who got rejected!”

I remembered hearing about him from Assistant Lee in front of the Hongyurung Gate.

He was the Hunter who’d been refused when he asked Yu Jae-i to make gear for him.

[Shim Yunjin: So what if he’s 47th in the Korea Hunter Rankings? He’s throwing a fit because he wants gear—total psycho, just the worst.]

[Kim Jiyeon: Yunjin says it’s a fit, but to be fair, he’s just talking for now.]

[Shim Yunjin: And throwing a fit doesn’t just mean flailing around! If you make things awkward and shout abuse, that’s a fit.]

[Kim Jiyeon: That’s true, but still…]

He’s not a kid…

A guy ranked 47th among Hunters, and he’s pitching a tantrum to get new gear?

I frowned in disbelief as I read the messages.

Is this guy for real?

[Kim Jiyeon: Jae-i told him she’s not making anything for him and asked him to leave, but he won’t listen.]

[Shim Yunjin: He’s even getting mad. Says she made stuff for other people, so why not for him?]

[Kim Jiyeon: He says he saw a video and is demanding answers, but I don’t know what he means.]

[Shim Yunjin: Ah, I just figured it out. He must have seen this. He’s freaking out over this.]

Shim Yunjin sent a video link.

It was the same video Jaesik had sent me last night, which I’d already watched.

Apparently, Kim Muyeon had seen Arca in that video and realized Yu Jae-i had made new equipment.

He must’ve recognized the JY initials she’d inscribed on Arca.

[Kim Jiyeon: Kim Muyeon… It’s my first time meeting him, but what an awful person.]

[Shim Yunjin: Agreed! They say character and skill aren’t related, but how is a guy like that ranked 47th? Stronger than Coincidence? No way.]

[Kim Jiyeon: Uh, now he’s looking for Dowoon too.]

Me? Why’s he looking for me?

A blacksmith refusing to make gear for one client but making and selling it to another…

As a customer of the forge, I could see why he’d be furious.

He might think he was being discriminated against.

I get that it could feel insulting, especially for someone with that kind of pride.

For people like Kim Muyeon, pride like that means they just can’t let it go.

[Shim Yunjin: Wow, unbelievable. That big weapon—he says it should be his.]

[Kim Jiyeon: He says Dowoon isn’t worthy to wield it.]

What nonsense is this?

Who is he to talk about “worthiness”?

He’s the last one who should be judging anyone’s worth.

[Sprout expresses discomfort.]

[It says it feels like hurling stones right now.]

“Yeah, Sprout. You feel the same way, don’t you?”

I nodded as I scrolled down.

[Shim Yunjin: Ugh, what a jerk! It’s not some legendary hero’s weapon—what’s all this talk about ‘worthiness’?]

[Kim Jiyeon: Yunjin’s right. Just ignore him.]

Even if they say to ignore him, it still bothers me.

Saying my weapon should be his, or that I’m not worthy to wield it.

He really has a knack for getting under people’s skin.

He thinks Arca should be his?

[Kim Jiyeon: Jae-i must’ve thought he was hopeless, because she called the police. They’ll be here soon, so it’ll be resolved.]

[Shim Yunjin: The police just arrived!]

After that, there were no more messages from Kim Jiyeon or Shim Yunjin.

Maybe the situation was resolved, but if so, they would’ve at least told me Kim Muyeon had left.

The lack of any such message meant the situation was still ongoing.

At that moment, a new message arrived.

The sender was Yu Jae-i.

[Seems like the women here have messaged you, but it’s really nothing, so you don’t need to come.]

[I won’t let you get dragged into this.]

“Dragged into what?”

If Kim Muyeon is looking for me, this isn’t just her problem.

Since he knows who I am, even if I don’t go to the forge, he’ll find me within a few days.

If we’re going to meet anyway, better to get it over with quickly.

I grabbed the steering wheel and drove my car to Jae-i’s forge.

As I did, Sprout conveyed its thoughts to me.

[Sprout says it’s ready to hurl stones anytime.]

I couldn’t help but nod.

I was getting pretty annoyed, too.

How dare he covet my things for such a ridiculous reason?