The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 138

"Hoo, what in the world are you? What purpose do you have in seeking us out?"

Mairiph, who had confirmed that the dwarves inside the house had gone out, asked Lee Shin with a stiff face.

His memory of what he had seen in Lee Shin's unconscious was faint, as he had hastily come out with the thought that he would go crazy if he didn't get out quickly.

But there were two things he remembered clearly.

One was a long, black something that was stuck in the ground in the depths of Lee Shin's unconscious, its blade glinting as if to say it could kill an enemy at any time, even though it was neglected.

'I saw it for a brief moment, but it was definitely a weapon. And a weapon so outstanding that it shook my heart, which had seen various weapons until now, in that brief moment.'

Those who have weapons in their unconscious like this usually yearn for a struggle against something.

The target of their fight differs from person to person, but Mairiph could tell what Lee Shin wanted.

The second thing Mairiph remembered.

Because the world of swirling, dark red killing intent, piled with blood and flesh and pierced with bone fragments, had desperately shouted that it wanted to kill something, anything, and had told him Lee Shin's heart.

Mairiph clutched his churning stomach and glared at Lee Shin.

Lee Shin's unconscious was so terrible that the phrase 'a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood' could not contain it.

The intensity in the unconscious shows how desperately one wants it.

And the world of Lee Shin that Mairiph had seen was so rough, as if it existed only to kill living things, and it was so fanatical, as if it needed nothing else.

But…

'But how on earth can this guy be so calm while having such thoughts in his mind?'

Lee Shin, who looked into Mairiph's pupils, chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

"I can roughly guess what you're thinking, but I just came here because I need a weapon. I don't have any particular intention of doing anything here."

"Do you think you can persuade me with just those words?"

"What do you want me to do? That's the truth."

"Hah…"

As Lee Shin came out like this, Mairiph felt his head getting more complicated and sighed.

"You… Hoo, no. Then let me ask you just one thing. Are you by any chance like the Blood Sword, a Heavenly Killing Star?"

Dwarves are a race of craftsmen.

From a young age, they grow up listening to the stories of numerous weapons, regardless of good or evil, as if they were fairy tales.

And naturally, the stories of the weapons also include stories about their wielders.

The Blood Sword.

In the stories, he is a madman who is said to have suddenly appeared like a natural disaster, indiscriminately cutting down everything in front of him and dyeing his body and the sword in his hand red.

Such people are not common, but that doesn't mean they don't exist at all.

Because there are many madmen.

Nevertheless, the reason the Blood Sword remains in stories and is remembered in people's minds is because the things the Blood Sword did were so absurd.

He did not distinguish between people and monsters, and he challenged an empire alone, cutting down everything that stood in his way.

And the end of the reckless story of challenging an empire head-on ends with the unbelievable result of the mutual destruction of the Blood Sword and the empire.

According to the stories, the Blood Sword was born with the fate of a strange star called the Heavenly Killing Star and was said to be clad in a killing intent whose end could not be known.

"Heavenly Killing Star? I don't know who the Blood Sword is, but it's probably similar."

But Lee Shin, the person who had received Mairiph's question, knew nothing about the Blood Sword or the Heavenly Killing Star.

The Heavenly Killing Star Lee Shin knew was simple.

A type of human who couldn't stand their murderous impulse and had to kill people to live.

Lee Shin was a little surprised that the word 'Heavenly Killing Star' came out of Mairiph's mouth, but he wasn't very surprised that he thought of him that way.

Because when he first learned the word 'Heavenly Killing Star', he himself had thought that his situation was similar.

But if you were to ask if it was completely the same, it wasn't.

For one thing, he was controlling his killing intent to kill something with his own will.

Well, as a price for that, he was constantly feeling a headache as if his head was breaking.

"Ha, similar, is it… Well, if it were completely the same, there's no way I'd be alive right now."

At Lee Shin's words, Mairiph messed up his hair as if it were complicated and accepted the current situation.

The human in front of him was similar to the Blood Sword of the stories, but he was definitely different.

In the first place, if it were the Blood Sword, this kind of conversation would not have taken place.

Then…

Then really…

"You came all this way just to make one weapon?"

"That's right. You were the one who suggested the bet in the first place, right? I definitely warned you before we did it."

"Puha, puhahaha!!! Well, that's right, isn't it? Puhahahaha!!!"

As Lee Shin said that with a wide smile, Mairiph let out a hollow laugh and then burst out laughing.

Laughing so loudly, Mairiph felt a sense of relief, as if a rock that had been stuffily blocking his heart had disappeared.

At that, he saw the Lee Shin in front of him better, and he felt the desire to make Lee Shin's weapon.

Just as a painter wants to paint what inspires them, a craftsman wants to make the weapon of a martial artist who gives them inspiration.

On top of that, in Mairiph's eyes, Lee Shin was a unique human being that he would probably never meet again, so it was even more so.

Of course, his suspicion about Lee Shin was not completely gone.

But the dwarf's instinct as a craftsman persuaded Mairiph not to worry about trivial things, and Mairiph was half-convinced by this persuasion.

This was partly due to Mairiph's original personality, but it was also because he was confused from just having come out of Lee Shin's mind.

While Mairiph was having various thoughts, his mouth naturally opened and he asked Lee Shin one thing.

"You, you seem to be a martial artist, but what weapon do you use?"

"I use a spear."

At Lee Shin's answer, Mairiph felt the scales of his heart tipping to one side and smiled.

"Alright, I'll make your weapon, you monster."

"Let me tell you in advance, if you give me a useless weapon, I'll just throw it away."

"Ha! I'm planning on making something so amazing that you'll shed tears of emotion, so just be prepared to bow to me."

The two said that and got up from their seats.

Since their desires matched, it was now time to move.

***

"So, did you look around the village?"

"I looked around, but I couldn't find anything particularly concerning."

"Even if I tried to look at the weapons, they wouldn't show them so easily."

"Same here. The dwarves were stricter than I thought."

At the three's words, Lee Shin nodded his head appropriately.

In the first place, Lee Shin hadn't sent them with any particular expectations.

He had just sent them to kill some time and look at some weapons.

He wasn't disappointed.

Because at least in this village, a being who could wield absolute power was now cooperating with them.

"Help these kids pick out their weapons."

"Tsk, I can't help it."

Mairiph, recalling the contents of the bet, clicked his tongue softly and asked Eun Yeonwoo.

"Then you go first. What kind of weapon do you want?"

"I use a mix of daggers for wielding in my hand and daggers for throwing at the enemy."

"Daggers… that's the weapon that old man Kaliriph likes. Hey!"

"Yes!"

At Mairiph's shout, a guard from outside the house quickly came inside.

"Take this guy to old man Kaliriph, introduce him, and tell him to make him a weapon."

"Understood."

Eun Yeonwoo, at the guard's gesture to go out, stealthily got up from his seat and went outside.

Starting with Eun Yeonwoo, Mairiph asked them in turn what kind of weapon they wanted.

"A chain? You're looking for a peculiar weapon. Go find old man Gwohuz."

"A staff… then you should go find old man Nairoph."

"Dual swords were the weapon that Griph liked. Go find him and tell him I sent you."

"You want a rapier? Well, it would be good for even a mage to carry at least one weapon to protect themselves."

And so, one by one, they left Mairiph's house, leaving only Lee Shin and Mairiph.

"You said you'd give me the best item, isn't this a breach of contract?"

"I said I'd make you the best item. What, you got a problem with that?"

Lee Shin, who had read the greed of a craftsman in those words, said with a sly smile.

"Are you planning on making my weapon?"

"Yes, you got a problem with that?"

"If you have the skill, I have no complaints."

Lee Shin said that and took out a box from his inventory, handing it to Mairiph.

Mairiph examined the contents of the box and said.

"Hmm, they're all metals and gems related to flames or lightning."

"Because the spear I wield is related to those two."

"Is that so."

Mairiph said that and recalled the image of the Flame Lightning Tree he had seen in Lee Shin's mind.

At that, he naturally recalled Irhegue's appearance as well, but he decided to just keep his mouth shut about that part.

The man in front of him already seemed complicated in many ways, so he didn't want to get involved and get annoyed by listening to his story.

"But these materials won't be enough."

"Hm? What, is there something you need?"

"No, it's fine."

Mairiph said that and pointed to the warehouse.

"The materials are already prepared."

Mairiph looked at the warehouse full of the collection his father, the original clan master of the [Red Hammer], had cherished, with the eyes of someone looking at prey.

'My father would probably think of killing me if I touched it, but since he's not here right now, it should be fine. This should be enough for the trouble of being the temporary clan master.'

Lee Shin quietly watched Mairiph smile.

From his past experiences, he knew that Mairiph was about to cause some grand accident, but he had no intention of stopping him.

Because what he was trying to make by doing such a crazy thing was his own weapon.

Lee Shin was even willing to help Mairiph.

"Then can I just disappear now and come back on the day the weapon is completed?"

"Ah, wait a minute."

As Lee Shin was about to get up from his seat, Mairiph stopped him.

"The most important work is left."

"What is it?"

"The work of shaping the weapon. Think of the most ideal weapon you can in your head. I'll take care of the rest."

At Mairiph's words, Lee Shin, recalling that dwarves originally made weapons after examining the mind in this way, sat down obediently.

"Is it okay? It would be a problem if you went crazy before you even made my weapon."

"This time, I'm just looking at one keyword, so there's no problem."

"Hmm, but even if you say an ideal weapon, nothing really comes to mind."

"Tsk, don't be a pain, just close your eyes, sit down, and just think 'ideal weapon' in your head."

At Mairiph's words, Lee Shin shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes to think of the ideal weapon that suited him.

Looking at Lee Shin, Mairiph gently placed his hand on his shoulder.

At that, Mairiph was able to see the weapon he had faintly seen in Lee Shin's unconscious clearly in a new, pure white world.

A single spear, filled with only pitch-black.

Its spearhead looked like a sharp fang, and because of that, it gave the feeling of facing a huge predator rather than a weapon.

After examining that much, Mairiph smiled lightly and took his hand off Lee Shin's shoulder.

"Three days. Come find me in three days."

The desire to challenge as a craftsman welled up like a flood.