Strike 121

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As always. 

An incomplete spear shaft.

With a massive roar, walls crumble and flames surge in. 

[HP falls below 97%.] 

[HP falls below 93%.] 

Amidst the endlessly pressing flames, Hyun-soo shields the spear shaft with his body against the fire. 

Now, Hyun-soo is protecting the spear to be completed, even more than his own body. 

When the flames attempt to engulf the spear shaft as well. 

By planting the Aegis behind him, he withstands the flames. 

[The rage of the Minor World Tree cannot be easily quelled!] 

[If it is not put to rest, everyone will die.] 

The flames of the Minor World Tree were hot and fierce. 

Anyone in this situation would think of fleeing, not crafting. Thinking of ways to escape, to survive. 

But knowing there was no other way, Hyun-soo does not stop. 

His hands move as if possessed, polishing the carved spear shaft. 

Finally, connecting the spear shaft and the spearhead. 

Click- 

Yes, the reason this spear could be completed. 

[Even if it breaks.] 

[You have found a breakthrough in a critical moment of crisis.] 

[The effect of the completed artifact is increased by 5%.] 

It was thanks to his unyielding will to complete it. 

[The fourth legend is written.] 

A wild power can be felt from the spear. 

Holding the spear with a faint blue hue, he moves beyond the broken walls. 

At that moment, the effect of the spear spreads. 

Whoosh- 

The melody of waves gently breaking against the earth. 

[In 30 seconds, the Minor World Tree will cause an explosion 10 times more powerful than the first one.] 

Hyun-soo steps forward, seen by Pan, nobles, and all the knights. 

Their faces filled with fear. 

And Pan thought the spear in his hand was unusual. 

Most spears have a single spearhead. 

But, this spear had three spearheads. 

He first reads the character for “Hyun” (現) written on the middle of the three spearheads. 

Then, his gaze is captured by the spear shaft. 

On the spear shaft, it was written: 

‘Trident…?’ 

He does not understand. 

He only feels. 

[The Minor World Tree senses danger.] 

[It unleashes a torrent of flames towards the one who manifests danger.] 

With a roaring blaze, flames swirl and explode towards Hyun-soo. 

He will be burnt to ash. 

Leaving only bone dust. 

At that moment, Hyun-soo forcefully drives the spear down in front of him. 

The calm melody of the waves turns. 

[Violent Waves]

From behind, a massive wave extends, blocking the flames erupting from the Minor World Tree. 

Rumble-

Fire and Water. 

The two elements clash in a struggle of power, and the winner is Water. 

A tidal wave swallows the spewed flames. 

Riding atop that giant wave, Hyun-soo advances. 

[The fourth legend began with inspiration from a god.]

Angered by the failure of its attack, the Minor World Tree spouts flames in all directions. 

Whoosh-

At that moment, Hyun-soo swings his spear. 

[That god is the ruler of the seas, a being that resides in his world.]

[Known as one of the three supreme gods, the god who rules the seas.]

At that moment, 

Whoosh-

This time, massive waves pour out from all directions. 

The raging waves start to fill the garden like a sewer during a downpour. 

And Hyun-soo’s eyes narrow like a hawk’s as he rides the waves. 

[It is the god of the sea, Poseidon.]

Hyun-soo had been feeling it. 

‘You don’t want this either, do you?’

The Minor World Tree does not desire their deaths. 

It was the Minor World Tree that gave the sudden quest. 

Yet, it rampages oddly. 

It’s like the law of nature. 

The Minor World Tree had to blaze up when provoked and explode in anger when attacked. 

Whether it wanted to or not. 

Swoosh-

The Minor World Tree, with its dry branches trembling. 

As Hyun-soo moves forward, looking at it, he soon feels a power focusing on him. 

[In 5 seconds, a massive explosion will occur.]

Hyun-soo intuits. 

The moment that explosion occurs, everyone here will die. 

Hyun-soo, riding and raging on the waves, is continuously struck by strong balls of fire. 

Boom

Bang

Bam-Bam-Bam-Bam-Bam-!

Even amidst that countless damage and harm, Hyun-soo does not stop. 

And around his spear, five waves are formed. 

Five waves crashing into each other above the sky imbue into Hyun-soo’s spear. 

Swoosh-

[In 4 seconds, a massive explosion will occur.]

Beep-

Like a kettle reddened from heat, the Minor World Tree turns red. 

[In 3 seconds……]

Before that, Hyun-soo, having arrived in front of it, forcefully plunges his spear in front of the Minor World Tree. 

At that moment. 

The five waves that had been imbued in Hyun-soo’s spear. 

[In 2 seconds……]

Those waves simultaneously engulf the Minor World Tree from five directions. 

Rumble-

[In 1 second……]

And finally. 

[The rage of the Minor World Tree is calmed.]

Hyun-soo felt relieved.

And in that relief, he knew what he had to do next.

Swoosh-

The flames that were erupting from the Minor World Tree were sucked back into it.

Conversely, the raging waves soon calmed down.

The moment Hyun-soo pulled out the spear he was holding and struck down once more, water began to rise as if filling a fish tank.

As the water started to rise, he felt the World Tree’s power trying to absorb.

Finally, a permanent sea was formed around the Minor World Tree.

Swoosh-

The melody of the waves unfolds again.

And Hyun-soo felt it.

It seemed like the branches of the Minor World Tree were shaking invisibly.

As if saying thank you, but Hyun-soo felt something entirely different.

It wasn’t because he saved it from drying out but for another reason it was thankful.

And finally, the garden began to change.

[The Minor World Tree is revived.]

The scene was literally of the sea covering up to the center of the Minor World Tree.

Naturally, the nobles, knights, and Pan were floating on the water. But quickly, the water began to recede.

As the water receded, soil formed around the Minor World Tree.

As the soil rose, thousands of shoots stretched out at an exponential rate.

In just 10 seconds, those shoots sprouted seeds, took shape, and began to grow, creating a complete forest.

[The Minor World Tree regains its complete form.]

The Minor World Tree, having regained its complete form, made everyone stand in the garden as the water receded.

Pan looked around.

Half of the garden was a sea.

The other half seemed to form an island around the Minor World Tree.

What surprised Hyun-soo the most was this.

[The Minor World Tree bears the most special fruit in the world.]

[You can check the representative fruit.]

Pan was captivated by the brilliance.

One of the countless fruits hanging on the vast Minor World Tree.

It had the shape of rice.

The moment he saw it, which had only about ten grains of rice, Pan collapsed.

[A fruit with ten grains of rice.]

[If you sow these grains in the ground, abundant crops will grow in even the most barren land.]

Pan had denied it.

The legendary fruit Ben had talked about.

Then, Hyun-soo, looking at him, said,

“This is the kind of person I’ve seen Ben to be.”

Pan meets his gaze.

Hyun-soo, smiling slightly, says something contrary to what they had thought of Ben.

“For the people alone.”

A grumpy and harsh personality.

“For the people’s.”

Suspected of dementia.

“A king for the people.”

An old man caught in memories and delusions.

“That was King Ben.”

“……”

All the nobles and knights there were left speechless.

They had thought him a king caught in memories and delusions.

But now, this grain would alleviate the hunger of the people.

“Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh.”

Many of the nobles and knights at the scene weep sadly.

For defying the king’s wish and trying to destroy the Minor World Tree.

For thinking he had succumbed to dementia.

They thought they would gladly accept any punishment for their sins.

And then Ben entered the scene.

No explanation was needed.

Ben, having heard the story from outside, looked at his unworthy subjects with a gaze.

“Damn fools.”

But that was the end.

There was no talk of killing them, beheading them, or exterminating their families. Of course, they would have to accept their punishment, but they were also objects of Ben’s love-hate relationship.

And Hyun-soo felt a flutter in his chest.

A bright light formed at the Minor World Tree.

[Sudden Quest: The Anger of the Minor World Tree Completed]

[You have calmed the anger and revived the Minor World Tree.]

[Completed with astonishing results.]

From the bright light, materials resembling logs descended in front of Hyun-soo.

[You have obtained the highest quality Minor World Tree.]

[This is the most precious material obtainable from the Minor World Tree, making up 1% of its yield.]

Originally, it was supposed to yield a medium-quality Minor World Tree.

But it changed to the highest quality.

Ben muttered beside him, “I can’t understand, the Minor World Tree is ultimately a tree. If you chop it, you get materials, and over time, it recovers, and the cycle repeats.”

It was the first time Ben had seen such a thing.

“But now, the Minor World Tree has offered its materials by itself.”

Hyun-soo knew the truth.

Just before, it seemed as if the Minor World Tree was saying thank you.

Not just for preventing it from withering.

“The Minor World Tree seems to care for you, Your Majesty.”

“……”

Ben was at a loss for words.

Of course, it might have been just an abstract statement.

Swoosh-

The vast leaves fluttering in the wind seemed to answer for him.

Suddenly, he reflected on himself from the age of 17 to now.

Since bringing the Minor World Tree, he had never once left it.

Sometimes he slept beside it, watered it,

And sometimes confided worries he couldn’t share with his subjects.

Yes.

The old man and the tree cared for each other.

And Hyun-soo thought…

‘Maybe I’m the tragic male protagonist?’

You know, like those protagonists who faint at every little thing.

[You are experiencing accumulated fatigue.]

Come to think of it, Hyun-soo hadn’t slept at all while crafting the spear for three days.

Also, the endless tension from the fight to protect the Minor World Tree had caused him mental fatigue.

Hyun-soo’s vision began to spin.

“……I think I need to sleep.”

[You fall into a state of abnormal fainting.]

Ben watches as Hyun-soo collapses.

Pan, who had approached at some point, watches.

The nobles who walked over and the knights who support him look at his sleeping face.

All of them are looking at him with a completely different expression than before.

And as Hyun-soo is sucked into the depths, he recalls a notification he had forgotten about in his focus.

‘What was that…?’

The notification had come after he created the fourth legendary artifact.

[You are approaching a special name.]

Finally, he falls completely asleep.

***

Special User Management Team.

Kim Tae-seok and Lee Ji-hee, employees.

The two looked at the fainted Hyun-soo with surprised expressions.

This notification was before them:

[User Hyun-soo is approaching a special name.]

[When creating a total of six legends, you will qualify to hold that name.]

The special name.

It was a name too sublime and beautiful.

It was not something given by choice, but only obtained through one’s own strength.

Tae-seok smirked.

Globally, only 11 people have received this notification.

Of those 11 users, only 3 have actually managed to claim the name.

In the Korean server, the Asgan server, there exist ten legendary figures.

These ten legends have long represented their continent.

Sword King Barad.

Spear Heaven Ben.

Archmage Luwon.

Absolute Shield Peya.

Divine Archer Vaneka…

And so on.

Countless names. There were also vacancies among them.

“This is unprecedented.”

Kim Tae-seok muttered with an incredulous expression.

“For the first time globally, a non-combat profession is approaching the ten legends.”

The ten legends are different from legendary classes.

It refers to those who currently possess the ultimate power.

Even users with legendary classes couldn’t reach the toes of the ten legends.

Suddenly, Lee Ji-hee had a curiosity.

“What will Hyun’s name be?”

Tae-seok’s thoughts did not last long.

“Ten Legends. Master Artisan Hyun (現).”

That would be the name engraved on him in the future.

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