Chapter 12
#6 Arrogant Artifact (2)
If I'd known it was gonna be like this, I would've listened to that Park Se-woon guy, no matter what he said about this place.
Who would have known things would turn out like this!
"Damn, he just said he got lucky and got some power."
Did I screw up, coming here after just hearing that?
Still, no way I was gonna miss out on an artifact that could give you powers.
"Kuh-euk."
The artifact that burrowed into me was blasting out this crazy energy like it was trying to burn me up, and the trap was spitting out water like it wanted to drown me.
My head was spinning.
But if I lose it here, it's game over.
I pulled up every last bit of mana I had.
If I could just get a handle on this crazy energy that felt like it was gonna fry me, and make it mine, maybe I could get out of this mess.
The artifact started bunching up, fighting against my mana.
My talent's crap, but I'm a B-rank Awakener. I've got a decent amount of mana.
"Whoa! Hold up a sec."
As soon as I drew up my mana, the pain in my body disappeared. It was like it realized I was trying to shut it down with my mana, so the artifact's energy stopped burning me and started trying to get away.
Every time I tried to grab its tail with my mana, it shed its energy and ran away like a lizard.
I was chipping away at its energy, bit by bit, but the main part of it kept dodging my mana.
Meanwhile, the water was up to my thighs.
No time!
That energy tearing through me seemed to know it too. Instead of attacking, it was just stalling and trying to get away from me.
Chasing its tail like this isn't gonna cut it.
I split my mana super carefully.
My mana control was pretty damn good.
Just being able to visualize my talent means I'm practically A-rank material.
I ended up like this 'cause I was trying so hard to use my talent for fighting, but hey, it's not a bad thing right now.
You wanna play hide-and-seek? Fine by me.
Back at the academy, I was one stubborn son of a bitch.
I didn't go through all that hell just to die wrestling with this thing.
I spread that split-up mana all over my body, sneaking up on it so it wouldn't notice.
I started herding the artifact's energy toward the mana I'd spread out.
And finally.
As soon as my mana stuck to the artifact's energy, a transparent window appeared in front of my eyes.
"What the..."
What appeared in front of me was a transparent... lock.
I frowned at the lock – looked just like when I used my 'Lie' skill.
Isn't this thing supposed to only work on people?
Anyway, if it's a lock, then I'm in my element. You have any idea how many locks I've picked?
I jammed my sharpened mana into the lock.
Left, right. Click, click. My mana lockpick worked its way through the keyhole.
No time to lose! The water has already risen to my chest.
"Damn it, damn it."
How the hell did that other guy manage to control this thing? I jiggled the mana lockpick like crazy. The keyhole rattled.
Even though I'm good at mana control, I guess I've gotten rusty since I graduated. I could feel my body protesting all this crazy mana movement.
But it wasn't like I was getting nowhere.
"Yes! Got it!"
Click— The lock that wouldn't budge finally popped open.
Is that it? Is it over?
I was just thinking that and feeling relieved when—
━How dare you, you insignificant thing!
A voice boomed in my head like thunder.
━Burn, burn and die!
And that thing's energy, which had been quiet till now, started going nuts in my body again. What the hell's going on?!
"Stop, stop! Whatever you are, cut it out! Let's talk this out."
At my words, the pain subsided again.
━Talk it out? Haha! You're kidding. You ignored the warnings and came in here anyway, and now you wanna sweet-talk me?
At first, I thought I was hearing things, but nope. This artifact was actually talking to me.
"Ego artifact?"
I thought it was just a disposable artifact that granted talent and disappeared, but it actually had an ego?
━Don't you dare call me such a thing!
For an artifact, this thing had a very inflated ego.
Even though I'd busted the lock, this artifact still wouldn't give in. It was just cursing me out.
━You're totally useless as a master! What're you gonna do with that garbage talent? Just die here. I'll remake the world using your body.
The second I heard that, I knew why this thing was giving me the cold shoulder.
That Park Se-woon guy, the hiker who found this place, had S-rank luck. Even if he couldn't fight like me, he was just built different.
But I'm just B-rank.
Without even realizing it, I smirked.
"So, a low-ranker's not good enough, huh?"
So you're saying you're going to kill me without even giving me a chance?
I knew how badass high-potential Awakeners were. I'd seen it up close with Seol Rok-jin, how they became these powerhouses who could flip the world on its head.
They call it 'potential,' but it's basically a fixed stat. High-potential Awakeners level up fast. But if you're on the other end of the spectrum, even if you bust your ass, you usually end up a nobody Hunter.
I was definitely in that second group.
But still... I've got the right to fight for my life, don't I?
It's not like I'm doing this just for me. I'm trying to save the world, in my own way.
"You could at least give me a shot, right?"
The voice's thoughts didn't change at my words.
━No need to give you a chance! You're not good enough!
Okay, so that's how you're going to play it.
Fine, don't give me a chance. You're gonna have to, one way or another.
If I can 'talk' to it, that actually makes things easier. Another lock popped up in front of me.
This one wasn't crude like the last one – it was a key with all these fancy designs.
It's working.
Now that we're talking, I don't have to just jam mana into its lock.
I slowly opened my mouth.
"No, I'm your only chance."
━Bullshit. Just die quietly.
"Too bad. I'm not planning on dying here. And I've got some bad news for you. I caved in the entrance on my way here. If you don't take me as your master, nobody's ever gonna find you."
━What?
The voice freaked out.
Just like I thought, this thing was waiting for someone better. And I just told it I'd ruined its chances.
"The cave's totally collapsed. Unless someone levels the whole mountain, nobody's finding this gate."
At my words, the voice shouted as if having a seizure.
━That can't be! I have a huge mission! I can't be stuck here! I didn't come all the way to this dimension to serve some loser like you!
"Haha, too late. It's already done."
The water was already up to my neck. I grinned.
"So choose me. Because I'm your only chance."
My ability makes any lie sound like the God's honest truth. Right now, I probably look like the most trustworthy guy in the world.
Even if you hate my guts, you have to believe me.
━I'll never serve a master like you – no powers, and a weak-ass body! Never!
"Yeah, sure. Just rot here by yourself forever."
━Damn it!
That artifact still had a nasty attitude and kept cursing me out.
Just before the water hit my chin...
━Fine, damn it!
Finally, the voice said what I'd been waiting to hear.
━Having to serve a loser like this! This is the worst. The absolute worst.
I didn't care about the voice whining in my head. I stared at the window that popped up.
「??? requests subjugation. Will you accept?」
The system message, the one that almost never shows up, popped up.
The so-called voice of God, that only Chosen Awakeners get. I'd never seen this thing in my entire past life.
"Hell yeah, I accept."
As soon as I made the contract, a subjugation mark appeared on the back of my hand.
The tattoo – a sideways figure-eight, like a Möbius strip – glowed red.
But it only glowed for a second, then vanished into my skin.
I was stoked to finally have this damn artifact under my thumb, but it was too early to celebrate.
Next thing I knew, my face was underwater.
Glub!
Do something!
It was like it heard me, because a ton of mana started surging through me.
That energy turned into new pathways all through my body. Like laying down roads and railroads in the middle of nowhere, thousands of mana circuits appeared in my body, just like that.
Like a tree sprouting new branches, the mana circuits in my body expanded and branched out.
All those mana circuits gave me a whole new understanding.
All this new knowledge flooding in made my head feel like it was gonna explode.
'Ugh!'
I squeezed my eyes shut at the surging headache.
━You fool!
Then the voice showed me the way. One part of the tangled maze of pathways lit up.
I pushed my mana along the glowing circuit.
My fingertips hardened, and I felt this power surge through me, like I could break anything.
'This is it!'
I pushed through the water and went down. I reached for the door I'd come through.
Focus the mana in my fingertips. And... release!
How to use those two talents – stuff I couldn't even wrap my head around before – was totally clear now.
Now that I had a way to channel my mana out of my body, I wasn't afraid of anything.
Thud.
The mana blasted out of me and cracked the wall. But that was it.
━Such weak-ass mana! Not even close!
I'm about to pass out from exhaustion, and you're not helping.
I gritted my teeth and blasted out mana again. Crack – the door cracked, but not enough to break.
Was it 'cause I was out of breath? My vision started to go dark. I wanted to go up for air, but the whole place was full of water.
One last shot. Please, break!
Thud.
The mana blasted out, and the door shattered. The water started draining fast.
Of course, I got sucked in too, like going down a drain.
Damn it, I didn't expect this.
I was choking, getting dragged by the water. I'd already used every last bit of strength I had, and I started to black out.
━You idiot! Focus mana in your windpipe! Breathe!
'How is that even possible!'
━Having to save this loser!
I heard the voice bitching in my ear, and I was this close to passing out... but then a jolt of electricity shocked me awake.
'What are you doing!'
It was the artifact that saved me.
━I saved your life.
Oh yeah, I wasn't suffocating anymore. I was still getting tossed around like crazy, but hey, better than drowning.
The water slammed me around. Thud, thud. My whole body smashed against the narrow walls of the tunnel.
Every impact messed me up.
'Did my ribs break?'
I gritted my teeth, enduring the pain. How long was I getting dragged? Finally, the water spit me out onto the floor.
"Gaaahhh."
I rolled over and puked up all the water I'd swallowed. For, like, ever.
"Ugh..."
As I finally came to, the artifact's voice started up again.
━So what now? You said it was all blocked off! It'd take you decades to break through with that weak-ass mana of yours!
I chuckled. Right, I did say that.
"Don't worry. The exit is open."
━What? What do you mean, open? You said you blocked the entrance.
"Oh, that? I lied."
━What?
Ah, that felt good.
