Chapter 19: The Shadow of the Skeleton Lord

The place I headed to after leaving home was Jae Yi’s blacksmith shop.

It was to deal with the spoils obtained from the Hong Yurung Gate.

The log was a powerful weapon, but it didn’t suit my fighting style.

Having to carry it slung over my shoulder was one of the drawbacks.

It wasn’t just an ordinary log—it was a branch of the World Tree.

Without revealing that, I couldn’t just hand it over to Yoo Jae Yi.

I might have to sign a confidentiality agreement before showing it.

If she refused, then I just wouldn’t show it at all.

“Welcome… You’re not wearing your mask today?”

As I opened the door and stepped inside, I saw Yoo Jae Yi sprawled across the counter.

She was dressed similarly to last time, but her hairstyle was different.

Her bangs still revealed her forehead, but her hair was tied back in a single braid.

Without even greeting me, she got up and brought up the mask first.

Wearing the mask every second had been to prevent Baek Do Woon, who had entered the entire group, from being noticed.

“There’s no need to wear it anymore.”

“Oh?”

“More importantly, you look free.”

“Not really. I was swinging my hammer all night. Just taking a short break.”

Ah, so she tied her hair back because she was working.

I pointed at myself with my index finger and asked,

“Am I disturbing you?”

“No. If I thought you’d be a disturbance, I would’ve closed the shop.”

“That’s a relief.”

Now that I knew why she was sprawled out, I felt a bit guilty.

I should finish the main topic quickly so I don’t take up more of her rest time.

I pulled the armor out from my magic pouch and placed it on the counter.

The moment she saw the armor, she narrowed her eyes and looked at me.

Feeling her disapproving gaze, I quickly averted my eyes.

“… So, why?”

“How long have you had this and it’s already like this?”

Then Yoo Jae Yi pointed at the chest and stomach areas of the armor.

Both places had huge holes.

The hole on the chest was from a sprout, and the holes on the stomach and back were caused by the Skeleton Lord.

She spoke as if it was absurd.

“Judging by this condition, the person who wore this must’ve died.”

“Tada.”

I spread my arms wide to prove I was alive.

She raised one eyebrow and asked,

“Why are you still alive?”

“Why, does it bother you that I’m alive when I should be dead?”

“Phew. I thought your recovery was amazing, but I didn’t think you weren’t human.”

“What are you talking about? I’m definitely human.”

Having eaten the fruit of the World Tree and becoming its guardian, my body underwent several changes.

But my species hadn’t changed.

I was still very much human.

As if to deny that thought, she stood the armor upright.

Then she stuck her right arm into the hole in the stomach.

Her right hand came out through the hole in the back.

Her wildly shaking hand seemed to wave a ‘hello’.

“Human in a place like this?”

“It would be more believable if you said you killed a monster and took this. What exactly did you fight?”

“The Skeleton Lord.”

“What?”

“I fought the Skeleton Lord.”

“Weren’t you a D-rank hunter?”

“Huh?”

“What?”

“…?”

Huh?

Did I mention that I was formerly a D-rank hunter?

I only said I was a former hunter—I never specified the rank.

She withdrew her right hand from the hole in the armor and held it out to me.

“Give it here.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll appraise it. Since you came back from the gate, you must have items you acquired.”

Oh, I was just wondering where to get an appraisal done.

Yoo Jae Yi was a blacksmith at one of Korea’s top 100 blacksmith shops.

Her appraisal skill was surely on par with most professional appraisers.

With a cheerful smile, I pulled out the Skeleton Lord’s weapons, armor, and cloak from my magic pouch.

Watching the equipment piling up neatly on the counter, she asked,

“What did you do with the corpse?”

It was purified by a warm touch and turned into dust before disappearing.

I couldn’t be that honest, so I just shrugged.

She nodded and inspected the items on the counter.

Hunters usually handed over monster corpses to dismantlers.

She probably assumed I gave the Skeleton Lord’s corpse to a dismantler.

“The weapon and armor quality are very good.”

“Really?”

Evolved monsters had stronger and better equipment.

All of the Skeleton Lord’s gear must be of superior quality.

The downside was that the armor was medium heavy, which didn’t suit me.

Its size didn’t fit my body, and it was too heavy to use.

“Yeah. There aren’t any special options attached, but purely the attack and defense are high.”

“How high?”

“Just right for those who have just become A-rank hunters.”

‘Those who have just become A-rank hunters’…

That phrase made it clear the equipment wasn’t top-tier.

Even though the attack and defense were high, there must be drawbacks elsewhere.

Since it belonged to the Skeleton Lord, it might have options that lower physical abilities.

Or it could be too heavy or have poor durability.

Next, she appraised the last item on the counter—the cloak.

“… Whoa?”

A moment later, she let out a startled sound and jotted something down on a piece of paper.

Then she handed the note to me.

“You’re telling me the Skeleton Lord was an evolved monster.”

“But how did you know?”

“Evolved monsters sometimes drop items with skills attached.”

“I know. Because the nature of mana changes… Wait, you’re saying?”

“Yeah. The cloak has a skill.”

I turned my eyes to the note she handed me and read it.

It listed the cloak’s name and options.

[Skeleton Lord’s Shadow Cloak]

[Defense (Medium)↑, A-rank skill: Shadow Step]

[‘Shadow Step’ – Allows entry into one’s own shadow and exit from an opponent’s shadow up to three times a day.]

“Shadow Step…”

I recalled how the Skeleton Lord suddenly disappeared and appeared behind me.

I had thought it was an equipment skill.

But wait, it can be used three times a day?

The Lord only used it once.

If he had used this skill, he could have easily escaped from me.

Why didn’t he use it?

Even though he had enough chances, the Lord didn’t enter the shadows and died with his head split open.

So, the right conclusion is not that he didn’t want to use it, but that he couldn’t.

Why couldn’t he use the skill?

Maybe because I was clinging to him?

Perhaps if you’re in physical contact with an opponent, you can’t enter the shadows.

Of course, it could also be that I used up all the uses without realizing it.

To know for sure, I’d have to experiment directly.

The problem was,

“I’ll buy the weapons and armor. You don’t use these anyway.”

“Right.”

“What about the cloak?”

“Hmm…”

The fact that I didn’t wear cloaks was exactly the problem.

My fighting style required agility, and cloaks didn’t suit that.

If I fought like before, tanking at the front, it would be fine.

But I knew that style wasn’t effective for me.

I only had to be a tank to form a party with Do Hee and Tae Cheon.

Still, it felt like a waste to just sell it because the skill was good.

“I’m torn.”

“… Want me to modify it?”

“Modify?”

Yoo Jae Yi suggested ‘modification’ as I pondered.

It meant maintaining the item’s performance but remaking it into different equipment.

After modification, the quality could improve or decline, and the skill’s usage limit could decrease or disappear.

Still, it was worth trying since I could get equipment suited to me.

“As long as I can use the skill, that’s all that matters.”

“That’s true.”

“Wanna give it a shot?”

“Hmm… Sure.”

I answered immediately.

I had taken it out with that intention, so there was no reason to hesitate now.

“Thanks…”

A smile bloomed on Yoo Jae Yi’s lips.

She seemed genuinely happy to be able to handle the World Tree.

She lifted the log with both hands as if hugging it, then suddenly widened her eyes like she’d realized something and stopped.

In that position, she looked at me with eyes shining brightly.

They sparkled so much it almost felt overwhelming.

“Do you have more?”

“… I do.”

Seeing her sparkling eyes, I couldn’t say I didn’t.

I had planned to have them appraised together when I pulled out the log.

“Really? What is it?”

With a face full of anticipation, I pulled out the World Tree’s sap from my magic pouch.

She stared intently at the green sap resting on my palm.

Then she widened her eyes in surprise.

“No way…!”

Why? What kind of effect does it have?

Curiosity rose along with my anticipation.

*****

Baek Do Hee Korea Arrival in 99 hours 24 minutes.