Chapter 94.1: Weapon Crafting (2)

It’s subtle, but I clearly felt it.

A gloomy and hideous aura, like muddy darkness.

Raising my super sensory, I gazed, half-glaringly, at the warehouse beyond the darkness.

What came into sight was an ink-colored box.

At first glance, it seemed unusual that something like a chain surrounded it. I could feel the magic in the chain.

It was tucked away in a corner alone, away from other ores, and the source of the energy I felt seemed to be in that box.

“Can you feel it? You have an excellent sense indeed.”

The Wiseman suddenly said and looked towards the inside of the warehouse.

Asher put on a puzzled expression, as if she couldn’t understand what the other had said.

“What’s in there?”

I thought it was a warehouse for storing ores, but did it contain some magic items?

Even though it only flowed out faintly, it made me feel uncomfortable.

When I asked the Wiseman, he stroked his beard and answered.

“It’s an ore. It’s no different from what you see around you.”

“…Ore?”

“Of course, it’s not an ordinary ore. Would you like to look at it yourself?”

The Wiseman moved and walked right in front of the box.

Then he simply unlocked it and opened the box.

What was inside was, as he said, an ore.

An ore that emitted a black glow.

The only difference was that it was full of ominous energy.

I didn’t know what material it’s made of, but the box itself seemed to block the energy coming out from it.

“This was something I accidentally found from the demonic land of Octea. I haven’t given it a name yet, but it’s one of the finest ore I’ve seen in my entire life. However, it is a difficult material to use in crafting equipment.”

…He got it from Octea?

It was a different demonic land from Hallmenta, which Asher and I had been to before.

The Wiseman continued to explain why it was a material that was difficult to use for crafting.

“There are infinite kinds of mineral ore that are generated in nature. There are very few of them that are not only strong in magic conduction but also have unique properties. This is an ore with turbid thoughts infused with it. It’s not surprising since it’s found in a place where many things that go beyond common sense take place.”

“…?”

“If you put your hand on it, you’ll see what I mean.”

I stared down at the black ore and touched it as he said.

And I could feel it right away.

A mighty presence that existed within the ore and tries to penetrate my consciousness.

– Chiaaah…!

A bizarre echo that seems to be mixed with laughter and screams lingered in my head like an echo.

Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands… I could feel the existence of countless thoughts within it, as the Wiseman explained.

Thanks to the [Soul of the King], my mind did not shake, but if it was a normal person, it would not be strange if they lost their mind just by touching this ore.

It reminded me of Gascalid’s blood, which I had experienced before when getting blood magic.

“You’re crazy.”

When I removed my hand again showing no signs, the Wiseman looked quite surprised.

“Is it difficult to use it as a material because of this?”

“That’s right. It’s not a thing you can endure just because you have strong mental strength.”

The Wiseman turned his gaze to the side.

I said to Asher, who was staring at the ore curiously.

“If you’re curious, try to touch it. If you can withstand the thoughts of this ore, I’ll gladly use it as a material to craft the best sword and armor for you.”

Asher hesitated for a moment before reaching out her hand.

I wondered if she could take it.

Results came right away.

“…!”

As soon as she put her hand on the ore, she gasped, and within a few seconds, she removed her hand as if frightened.

In that moment, Asher’s complexion turned pale as if she had seen a ghost.

Was it that much for her despite having grown to level 90?

The thoughts dwelling in this ore were far more threatening than I thought.

“Is there any way to get rid of only evil thoughts?”

The Wiseman shook his head.

“I asked the overlord a long time ago, but he said it would be difficult to get rid of only the evil thoughts without destroying the ore. It’s not something that can be solved with magic or simple smelting.”

I turned my gaze again and stared blankly at the ore.

Suddenly a thought came to me.

…Wouldn’t my ability work on this too?

My instant kill ability was an ability that could dissipate the target’s soul itself.

That’s why it was possible to get rid of Gascalid’s residual thoughts back when I was trying to get blood magic.

So maybe this was possible too.

Wouldn’t there be no problem if I could also eliminate the thoughts dwelling in this ore with instant kill?

The Wiseman said it was one of the best ore he had ever seen in my life, so if he used it as a material, I wondered what kind of amazing weapon or armor would be born.

It was a very good thing because the more good equipment Asher used, the more helpful it was for me.

The best armor made by the Wiseman was Gaeldid which was made of orichalcum. If it could be better than that, wouldn’t it be exciting?

“If the problem of the evil thoughts is resolved, can you use this ore as a material to craft Asher’s weapon and armor?”

“Yes. But I haven’t found the right way yet.”

I nodded and put my hand on the ore once more. And I used instant kill.

At the same time, the scream that had been ringing in my head was suddenly cut off and disappeared. The ominous aura coming out of the ore disappeared as well.

As expected, the evil thoughts had been successfully extinguished.