Chapter 226 – The Logic of Balance (1)
[Destiny’s Bracelet]
[SSS rank]
[Special Abilities: Destiny Block, Destiny Evasion]
*Destiny Block: It receives the fate of the wearer on their behalf. In return, it’s durability is consumedfast.
*Destiny Evasion: Allows the wearer to evade a negative fate that must come with an extremely low probability. For each successful evasion, the wearer experiences permanently increased fortune.
[A bracelet made of the hair of a race called the Dwarf Sage. It was designed by a genius spiritualist to take the side effects of their abilities instead. It is not an imitable artifact. Only the owner of the hair can see the effects.]
“Wow, this is…” Shu exclaimed at the bracelet made of her delicately woven hair. It boasted a surprisingly beautiful appearance like it was woven of the finest thread. It periodically emitted golden light as it had been imbued with plenty of energy from his trait.
“Grandpa, this is the first time I’ve ever received a gift likethis…”
“What are you talking about? You asked me for it?”
-Good answer, member. Extra score, 300,000HP bonus!
He replied with a slight smile at Shu’s words, and for some reason, the administrator seemed to like it. He was wondering what the score was based on as Shu shook her head with asmile.
“I never thought it would be so pretty. So, this is a gift I couldn’t even imagine. Or so I think.”
“Well, whatever.” Though he struggled quite a bit to devise it, all the material had been provided by Shu. Moreover, very little metallurgy was used. It was only needed to create the metal thread used to bind and decorate it. Aside from that, however, it was purely soul-craft.
“You don’t believe in the Gaia system? Wear it and try it a few times to see the effect.” Though he said so, Kang Shin-hyuk actually thought that this was a defective product. It was a miracle, though, that he had managed to produce such a product at all within a few days. He still had half of her hair left after making it, too.
“Wow…?” Immediately after putting it on, Shu let out a strangegroan.
“Are there any sideeffects?”
“No, this is… wow…?” Kang Shin-hyuk could also see the energy radiating from the bracelet. It almost seemed like it was alive.
“…Why is it likethis?”
“I think I know.” Shu gasped for breath.
“My cause and effect… the quality of the artifact is increasing.”
“Sorry I don’t understand.”
“So!” Shu screamed out and, when she saw Kang Shin-hyuk’s eyes round with surprise, she grabbed ontohim.
“I’m sorry, grandpa. So… by eliminating the process, the power that slows down the future seems to be sucked into it.” Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced that the artifact’s first ability, Destiny Block, was working properly. However, what was odd was that the bracelet wasn’t damaged even though it was activated.
‘That’s weird. I decided it was defective due to that limitation it had.’ Instead of receiving the fate that would come to the wearer, it would suffer heavy damage to its durability. Due to the ambiguity of the word destiny, he thought that it was more of a consumable than a piece of equipment that could be worn. However, it seemed that the artifact was developing, as Shu had said. More vivid energy was pouring out ofit.
“It’s simple.” Shu smiled bloodily at him.
“Due to my karma, the decrease in durability is slowing down.”
“…Ah.” Yes, it was a bracelet of destiny that suffered durability loss in exchange for accepting the wearer’s fate. If Kang Shin-hyuk had made it for himself, it would be a consumable. It would’ve been destroyed after accepting the fate that came for him, whether it be a sword strike or a magic attack. However, it had been made using Shu’s hair, which was delaying the durability loss as it accepted the fate of its owner. The more it accepted Shu’s karma, the more durability it would consume, but also the more that future would be delayed. Which meantthat…
“Infinite power…?”
-It’s not power, but it’s similar. I am worried others will hear and come to see the product you created for Super Ultra GalaxyFist.
“Grandpa really is a genius. I never imagined you would create something like this rightaway…”
“But, I don’t know when the flaws will break out, so don’t get too attached.” Kang Shin-hyuk grew uncomfortable with Shu looking at him with sparkling eyes. He tried to lower her expectations gently, but Shu already had infinite trust in the bracelet.
“Grandpa, how about it? Have I become a little taller?”
“Uh… huh.” Surprisingly, Shu’s height grew a bit after wearing the bracelet for a while. It was only about a centimeter, but that was enough for Shu.
“Oh, it looks like it’s difficult for it to do itcontinuously.”
“That’s enough. For now, you have to wait slowly.” It would’ve been a horror to watch if Shu suddenly grew up all at once. No matter how high the level of the artifact, it was difficult to activate the ability.
“I didn’t think it would solve my worries so easily…”
“I don’t know when it will break.”
“It’s like grandpa to be so shy.”
“You’ll see oneday.”
“Hehe.” Shu clung to his waist with a fullsmile.
“After I grow up and become an adult, I will have my first child withgrandpa!”
“Thank you for your heart, but please give up on that idea.” Kang Shin-hyuk firmly refused. Also, did that mean she had plans to have her second child with someone else?
“There are too many people who say that they likeme.”
“All of them are dangerous people, so please give me their addresses. I will reportthem.”
“By the way, grandpa, Tsukuyo? That woman is a bit difficult to deal with…”
“Don’t talk about her. I’m scared I’ll see her soon.”
“Hahaha, it’s funny that you’re afraid of Tsukuyo. That woman should be most afraid.”
[Hey, little one, don’t bother Anvil too much.]
Kwati, who was practicing with her sword nearby, approached them. Shu looked up at her, then turned to Kang Shin-hyuk as if to ask, ‘It isn’t this one,right?’
“Yes, my girlfriend is waiting for me onEarth.”
“It’s bad to monopolize grandpa, but at least it’s not Fireball. Hey, let’s play together now that I’m feeling better!”
[What? Don’t use your abilities carelessly… kaak!]
They began to spar to test the bracelet’s abilities.
“Is it reallyenough?”
-I lack the eyes to see the artifact, but it should be for at least hundreds of years. And, by the time that period has passed, Super Ultra Galaxy Fist will be anadult.
“Then, it is.” Should he throw away the remaining hair? No, it was a precious material that contained her ability. He didn’t know what to do with it for now, but he decided to keep it. But, when he opened his inventory, he noticedsomething.
“Ah, this.” He had completely forgotten about the by-products he had obtained from the fire-lizard predator: its horns, leather, bones, blood, and a heart containing its magical power. He tried to evaluate it, but as expected, the message saying it was impossible to measureappeared.
“This monster’s heart is at a higher level than the monster’s.”
-This is evidence of Jormungand’s meddling.
“Indeed.” There were other pieces of loot he couldn’t use as well, special loot like the crest of light he hadobtained.
“…I think I could mix the crest and the heart together into somethinginteresting.”
-Would you like to try now?
“No, both of them are still difficult materials to deal with.” Instead, there was something he could make using the horns and blood.
“Since I gave the last spear to Eleanor.”
-You must make her pay with her life.
“No, why?” Kang Shin-hyuk also wanted a spear he could use.
“Then, let’s forget it.” He decided to start working right away. First, he boiled the blood left by the predator and added the poisonous blood from the basilisk to it. He soaked the water orb in them to maximize theingredients.
-Member…?
“The orb is fine; they won’t hurt me.” Kang Shin-hyuk used the water orb to strengthen it and then turned to sharpen the horns. He carefully carved them and bore a hole in it for the handle before immersing it in the boiled blood. After that, he took it out and threw it into the furnace. Once it had heated, he soaked it in blood again.
-Quenching?
“It’s not a metal, so this is more likesoul-craft.”
-…You are getting more and more alike.
He knew who he was comparing him to without asking. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled.
“Alright?”
-Except for being kinder to the admin. 500,000HP bonus!
“Where does the HP for the bonuses come from?”
-1,000,000HP bonus!
“Yes, I knew it.”
He had been envisioning the weapon from the moment he saw the fire lizard, so it didn’t take long to complete. Shortly after it was finished, the sky opened up, and the main forces of Jormungand poured out.