NoveLight ™
CRACK!
Su-ho hurled the Phantom Spear he had summoned toward the shadow of the dead monstrous lion, embedding it into the shadow.
Immediately, a reaction occurred.
[The Phantom Spear reacts to the shadow of the monstrous lion.]
[The Phantom Spear absorbs the shadow of the monstrous lion.]
[The Phantom Spear is strengthened.]
The Phantom Spear, having finally been fed, eagerly sucked up the shadow of the monstrous lion, consuming it with a satisfying gulp.
Su-ho watched the scene with contentment.
“Eat well, Yeongchang.”
Watching the Phantom Spear, it felt almost like caring for a pet, and he couldn’t help but feel proud.
Hopefully, after this, the third stage of its awakening will finally be triggered.
Su-ho then opened his status window.
[An Su-ho]
His level had risen by one, and he had gained two bonus stats.
Su-ho allocated all the bonus stats into Strength and then turned his gaze toward Jeong Cheol-min, who was approaching.
“Su-ho-ssi!”
He looked completely unscathed, suggesting that he had carefully avoided any damage.
Su-ho was relieved by that.
If Jeong Cheol-min had been injured, it would have been a bit upsetting for him.
As Jeong Cheol-min closed the distance, Su-ho smiled and spoke.
“You’re here? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Ah, no. Thanks to you, Su-ho-ssi, I’m perfectly fine. But what about you? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, of course. After all, I took down that monstrous lion, didn’t I?”
“That’s true, but... Su-ho-ssi, I really watched with my hands sweating. How did you even think about facing that monstrous lion head-on?”
“I thought it was the only way.”
“What?”
“There was a scene in a martial arts novel I once read. The hero used a technique to choke out an opponent who had perfected the unbreakable body technique. So I thought I might try it, and I didn’t expect it to work, but it did.”
“Wait... What? Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious. You saw it for yourself, didn’t you?”
Su-ho smiled brightly in response, and Jeong Cheol-min looked at him with a somewhat dumbfounded expression.
"He decided to face the monstrous lion head-on just because of that? I knew he was unusual, but could he possibly be a little crazy?"
Now that he thought about it, there did seem to be a bit of eccentricity about him.
Noticing Jeong Cheol-min’s strange expression, Su-ho chuckled and said,
“Anyway, I really appreciate you, Team Leader. Thanks to you, I was able to tackle another sealed gate.”
Su-ho bowed his head in gratitude, but Jeong Cheol-min waved his hand in a flustered manner.
“Ah, no, it’s nothing. What have I done? I should be the one thanking you on behalf of everyone. Thanks to you, we saved the taxpayers' money again.”
Managing a single sealed gate required substantial manpower and taxpayer funds.
In that sense, Jeong Cheol-min genuinely felt grateful to Su-ho.
If there was anyone who genuinely cared about the country and its people, it was Jeong Cheol-min.
Su-ho smiled and spoke again.
“Then, would it be alright if I take the loot?”
“Loot?”
“Yes, loot,” Su-ho said, pointing to the corpse of the monstrous lion.
Ah, right.
There was still the matter of the loot to settle.
In theory, according to the rules, the loot obtained from a gate cleared by a civil servant Hunter was supposed to belong to the state.
This was one of the most notorious laws, one that would only change after a massive reform within the Hunter Association in the future.
“This damn law is still in effect.”
However, Su-ho had no intention of returning the loot from the monstrous lion to the state.
After all, what kind of treasure was this?
Still, he had no intention of deceiving Jeong Cheol-min.
Su-ho believed that even the smallest things, like taking loot, needed to be permitted by Jeong Cheol-min. He needed to gain his trust and favor.
“Hmm…”
At Su-ho’s question, Jeong Cheol-min paused for a moment, stroking his chin.
In principle, the loot from the Iron Valley gate should have been returned to the state, but…
“Go ahead, Su-ho-ssi. You can take it.”
No matter how much Jeong Cheol-min valued honesty, he thought this law was absurd.
Su-ho smiled at Jeong Cheol-min’s cool answer.
As expected of Cheol-min hyung. He knew he would say that.
Su-ho replied,
“Are you sure it’s okay? According to the rules, it’s not allowed.”
“That’s true, but Su-ho-ssi, you’re still in your probationary period, right? Civil servants in their probationary period aren’t considered full-fledged employees yet.”
“Huh?”
“And I didn’t see anything. We were so busy fighting the monstrous lion, when would I have had time to collect the loot?”
“Haha, that’s true,” Su-ho laughed at Jeong Cheol-min’s sharp wit.
At that moment.
[The Phantom Spear has completely absorbed the shadow of the monstrous lion.]
The Phantom Spear’s meal was finished.
Su-ho observed the weapon with a slightly tense expression.
And then, in that moment.
[Mana supply is sufficient.]
[The consciousness of the Phantom Spear awakens.]
[Congratulations! You’ve successfully awakened part of the Phantom Spear’s consciousness.]
[Item information has changed.]
Another system notification appeared.
Su-ho’s face lit up with joy, and he quickly checked the updated information for the Phantom Spear.
[Phantom Spear]
Rank: S+
Stage 3 consciousness has awakened in the Phantom Spear.
With strong mana absorption, the Phantom Spear has successfully unlocked some of its former strength, greatly enhancing all of its abilities.
The first master who awakens its consciousness is recognized, and the user can now summon the ‘Phantom Shadow (S)’ from their shadow at any time.
If damaged, the Phantom Spear can be repaired and resummoned anytime with just shadow and mana, thanks to the ‘Shadow Regeneration (S)’ effect.
The ‘Shadow Bind (S)’ skill can now be used to fix the target’s movements by biting their shadow.
While the target has a Shadow Fang embedded in their shadow, the ‘Shadow Bleed (S)’ effect will cause them to take bleeding damage every second.
The ‘Shadow Pierce (S)’ skill can be used on targets covered in shadow, allowing for guaranteed penetration of any defense.
The joy on Su-ho’s face grew even stronger. He had finally obtained the “Shadow Pierce” option, one of the core techniques used by the Shadow King in his past life.
“As long as the target is covered by shadow, no matter how strong their defense, it will be pierced. Even a Nemean Lion.”
“Only two more stages left.”
Su-ho knew that the Phantom Spear’s consciousness was divided into five stages, and he had now unlocked three. Only two more remained.
“It’s growing faster than I expected. This speed is way beyond what I saw in my past life.”
He was highly satisfied with the progress. Su-ho called the Phantom Spear back to its resting form and approached the Nemean Lion’s massive corpse.
“It’s so much bigger up close.”
He thought that if the lion had been even a bit larger, his arms wouldn’t have been long enough to choke it out.
Summoning his Blood Sword, Su-ho gripped it tightly and swung at the lion.
[Steel Cutter activates.]
The sword swiped through the air, leaving a red trail behind. However…
Clang!!
The Blood Sword struck the lion’s hide with a flash of sparks but left no mark.
“It really doesn’t work.”
Su-ho had suspected this but hoped for a different outcome. He was glad he hadn’t started with the sword.
Jeong Cheol-min spoke as he watched.
“Hmm, I guess the unbreakable skin really is different. Even with that sword, it couldn’t cut it.”
“Yeah, the skin,” Su-ho replied calmly.
“What?” Cheol-min asked, confused.
“It’s just the skin that’s invulnerable.”
Without waiting for a response, Su-ho swung his sword again.
Once more, Steel Cutter activated.
Swish!
This time, the Blood Sword cut through the Nemean Lion’s hide with ease, the sound of the slice sharp and crisp.
Cheol-min’s eyes widened in surprise as he saw it.
“Wait... what’s going on? How is it cutting the skin?”
Su-ho just shook his head.
“The claw is sharper than the skin.”
“What? Really?”
“Really. You can see it for yourself.”
Cheol-min was still trying to comprehend what was happening.
Su-ho continued to cut through the lion’s chest, and once again, the claw sliced through it with ease.
“I’m going to get a great item out of this.”
Su-ho’s plans for strengthening himself with this loot were already forming.
[Phantom Spear]
Su-ho’s face flushed with exhilaration as he reviewed the information. He had finally acquired the Phantom Spear's “Shadow Pierce” option—one of the key techniques used by the Shadow King in his past life.
“Shadow Pierce,” Su-ho thought, his mind racing with excitement. “If the target is covered by shadow, no matter how tough their defenses, the spear will pierce right through. Even if it’s a Nemean Lion.”
“Now there are only two stages left,” Su-ho thought, knowing the Phantom Spear’s consciousness was divided into five stages. He had already unlocked three. Only two remained.
“It’s growing faster than I expected.” The speed of the Phantom Spear's growth was unimaginable when compared to the previous life of the Shadow King.
Satisfied with the progress, Su-ho recalled the Phantom Spear and approached the massive corpse of the Nemean Lion.
“It’s huge up close,” he muttered. “If it had been just a little bigger, I might not have been able to choke it with my arms.”
Su-ho summoned the Blood Sword and gripped it tightly. With a single motion, he swung it toward the lion.
[Steel Cutter activated.]
The sword swiped through the air with a red trail behind it, but—
Clang!!
The Blood Sword hit the lion’s hide, creating sparks, but not even leaving a scratch.
“It really doesn’t work.”
Su-ho wasn’t surprised, but he still felt a little disappointed. He was glad he didn’t start by using the sword in the first place.
Jeong Cheol-min, watching the scene, spoke up.
“Hmm, as expected, the skin of the Indestructible Body is different. Even that sword couldn’t cut through it.”
“The skin, yes,” Su-ho replied nonchalantly.
“What?” Cheol-min asked, confused.
“It’s just the skin that can’t be cut.”
Without waiting for an answer, Su-ho swung the sword again.
Once again, Steel Cutter activated.
Swish!
This time, the Blood Sword cut through the lion’s hide, creating a clean, crisp sound.
Cheol-min’s eyes widened in surprise as he heard the clean cut.
“But the skin… How is it still intact?” he asked, astonished.
Su-ho merely smiled.
“The claw is sharper than the skin.”
“What? Really?”
“Really, you see it yourself.”
Cheol-min still looked puzzled as he observed the cut. Su-ho continued to cut through the lion’s chest, and as he did, the skin that had been unyielding to the Blood Sword began to split with ease, like it was being sliced with a ruler.
Cheol-min’s eyes widened in shock.
“Wha—what? How is the skin cutting like that?”
“The claws are sharper than the lion’s skin,” Su-ho explained casually.
“Really? Is that true?” Cheol-min asked.
“It is, as you can see.” Su-ho replied.
“Well… I never expected that,” Cheol-min muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
The irony was that while the lion’s claws were sharp enough to slice through its own hide, the hardness of the claws was still weaker than the skin.
So, the claws could be cut by the Blood Sword.
“I heard that even Hercules used the claws of these lions to skin them.”
After splitting open the lion’s chest, Su-ho reached inside and began feeling for the heart. After a moment, he found it—larger than his own hand—and without hesitation, he crushed it.
[You have completed the first of the Twelve Labors of Hercules.]
[The system grants you the qualification to possess Hercules' strength.]
[A new trait has been added.]
[You are now a “Hercules Candidate.”]
[You have achieved a great feat, and the system rewards you with 10 bonus stats.]
As Su-ho crushed the lion’s heart, a cascade of system notifications flooded his screen.
Su-ho quickly checked the newly added trait, “Hercules Candidate.”
[Hercules Candidate]
This was a hefty bonus. Su-ho had heard about the Hercules Candidate trait before, but seeing it firsthand was a different experience.
“As I complete each task, I gain additional options,” he thought, looking through the trait’s details.
He closed the system window, unable to suppress a smile.
“I knew I’d seize power quickly after returning, but to have dual traits before even reaching one star? This is incredible.”
The potential to possess multiple traits wasn’t unheard of, but it was extremely rare. Most powerful individuals had access to multiple traits, but it wasn’t guaranteed that the person with many traits would always be the strongest.
“Of course, having many traits doesn’t automatically make someone powerful,” Su-ho thought.
He allocated all the bonus stats to Strength, then walked over to the spot where the Nemean Lion had been. He collected its hide and claws as loot.
“These are valuable materials.”
These items would significantly strengthen Su-ho’s future abilities.
After collecting the loot, Su-ho turned to Jeong Cheol-min.
“Well, shall we head out now?” he asked.
“Oh, yes. Let’s go,” Cheol-min replied, still trying to process everything.
The two of them finally finished the internal evaluation and left the gate.