Chapter 135: Han Hae and the Graveyard of Blades (1)
Kim Ki-Rok fried the chicken and skillfully prepared the sauce with flashy movements, leaving the onlookers wondering if he was actually a chef disguised as a Hunter.
"Han Hae."
"Yes, Guildmaster."
"Your skill is called Sword Manipulation, yes?"
"Uh... yes, that's correct."
Kim Ki-Rok thinly sliced the freshly washed green onions with a knife, then asked, "Mister Han Hae, what do you think is the most important factor when using that ability?"
"The most important..."
Han Hae fell into deep thought at Kim Ki-Rok's question. It wasn't something he had seriously considered before, but he soon came up with an answer.
"Wouldn't it be the ability to sustain Sword Manipulation over a long period with mana and to control multiple swords using only your thoughts—in other words, multitasking?"
Kim Ki-Rok paused his slicing and looked up. Seeing that, Han Hae smiled. It seemed like he had hit the mark.
"Wow..." Kim Ki-Rok murmured in admiration.
"Was I right?"
"No, I just thought that as an interesting perspective."
"Huh?"
Kim Ki-Rok began cutting the leeks and continued his lecture. "In my opinion, the most important thing when using your ability is... the quality of the weapon."
"The quality of the weapon?"
"Yes, since you're able to wield several at once. Rather than improving your ability to control five chopsticks skillfully, you would be better off controlling five A-Class weapons in a simple manner."
That made sense... but isn't that gap in weapon quality too far apart?
"The same goes for mana. Sure, it's helpful to sustain control over your weapons for a long time, but delivering high impact in a short burst takes priority."
"Is that why the quality of my items matters?"
"Exactly. The quality of your equipment is crucial. Your skill may be called Sword Manipulation, but at its core, it's the ability to control metallic objects."
There was a limit to how many he could control, but it didn't have to be a sword. As long as it was metal—be it a spear, shield, or even a chopstick—he could manipulate it by infusing it with mana.
"Magical weapons require mana infusion to activate their effects. With your ability, you can directly control the mana-infused object. So..." Kim Ki-Rok paused, sprinkled the thinly sliced green onions into a bowl of sauce, plated it, and pushed it forward.
"Who wants green onion chicken?"[1]
Several people jumped from their seats and rushed over.
"Wow. Why are so many of you obsessed with green onion chicken? Make sure you share, it's a hassle to prepare."
"Yessir!"
The gathered Hunters took the plate and returned to their spots. Kim Ki-Rok turned back to Han Hae. "Hmm..."
Han Hae swallowed nervously.
"Where were we?"
"You were explaining that I can use several magical weapons at the same time."
"Ah, right. Yes. That's why you'll be participating in a Gate clear, Mister Han Hae."
"You mean I'll be going in with Senior Seh-Hyuk?"
"Correct. The two of you will go together. But Mister Seh-Hyuk won't be taking an active role. It's a Gate appropriate for your level, though the monsters might be a little tricky."
"So he's coming along to ensure my safety."
"To be exact, it'll be Mister Kang Seh-Hyuk, me, Ji-Hee, and... hmm," Kim Ki-Rok trailed off, eyes drifting into thought as he pulled another batch of chicken from the fryer. "Chicken's ready!"
The Hunters quickly got up, grabbed their portions, and returned to their seats.
"Oh, and Miss Min-Ji and Sister Yoon-Joo will be joining us as well," he finished.
"Aren't they technical Hunters?"
"We need their power to clear the Gate." As he explained, Kim Ki-Rok pulled a kimchi container from his subspace. He scooped some onto a plate with his gloved hand and called out, "Who wants kimchi?"
***
After the sudden chicken party came to an end, the guild members made their way to the underground training grounds, with Han Hae quickly following behind. Regular training was important, but right now, he had questions for his seniors.
"Wow! Looks like you're in for a rough time, huh?"
"Good luck."
"It's all for your own good. But yeah, it's not going to be easy."
North Black Tortoise Boo Seung-Tae from DG Guild, who was resting after stamina training, said, "Hmm... Well, you won't die at the very least."
The seniors' reactions were all the same. Any Gate clear involving the Guildmaster, they warned, demanded extreme caution.
Han Hae's expression grew serious at Boo Seung-Tae's words. "Is it really that difficult?"
"Any Gate the Guildmaster recommends is tough."
Tough didn't even begin to cover it. If Han Hae didn't have his B-Class skill, he wouldn't have even dreamed of joining a Gate selected by the Guildmaster.
"The problem is, you can't turn it down. Your skills do improve just as much as you suffer. Oh, and Ji-Hee's going too, right? And Seh-Hyuk?"
"Yes."
"And the two technical Hunters are going to be there too?"
"Yes."
At Han Hae's reply, a look of pity crossed Boo Seung-Tae's face. "Sounds like it's going to be a rough one..."
"Really...?"
"It's rare for our Guildmaster to bring technical Hunters along on Gate missions."
"By rare, you mean it does sometimes happen."
"Yeah. Usually in situations where the entire guild is mobilized, or the Gate is so difficult you start to wonder if clearing it is even possible."
How unsettling.
"Well, since you're going with the Guildmaster, you probably won't die. You'll just wish you had." Boo Seung-Tae slowly raised a hand and gave Han Hae a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "But since you've read the Gate report yourself, you understand why you have to participate, right?"
"Hoo..."
Just as Boo Seung-Tae had said, Han Hae had no choice but to join the Gate clear, even knowing how tough it would be. He let out a small sigh and checked the Gate clear report once more.
[Graveyard of Blades]
Difficulty: Levels 30–55
Reward: Strength +2
Clear Condition: Subjugate the Black Bone Skeleton Knight embedded with a dark mana stone.
※ Special Reward Condition: Subjugate all skeletons embedded with dark mana stones.
※ Special Reward 1: Increase in Vitality and Strength +2
※ Special Reward 2: Choose one between Skill (Berserker) or Artifact (C)
※ Special Information 1: According to the Aians Empire, all swordsmen buried in the Graveyard of Blades possessed famous swords. Though they are now old and rusted, if melted down and reforged, they can yield a sword of at least B-Class quality provided the work is done by an elf blacksmith.
※ Special Information 2: The Graveyard of Blades contains not only swordsmen skilled with high mana-conductivity weapons, but also magic swordsmen who wielded enchanted blades. At the grave of a magic swordsman who has not been resurrected as Undead, there is a high chance of acquiring a magic sword.
They could craft a new sword of B-Class or higher using the recovered high-quality metal. And if they were truly lucky, they might obtain a sword already imbued with magic.
"That said, the Gate doesn't look all that bad," Boo Seung-Tae remarked.
"But it's a Gate where Undead appear," Han Hae grumbled.
Undead were a type of monster that could only be killed by destroying their exposed or hidden mana stones. They were much harder to deal with than most people realized.
"With Ji-Hee by your side, at least you won't have to worry about ghosts."
"Oh!"
He had forgotten he would be accompanied by the girl loved by spirits. Han Hae let out a sigh of relief.
However, Boo Seung-Tae continued to study the report with a furrowed brow. A sense of unease lingered. His instincts, honed through years of experience, kept telling him that something was off. Finally, he found the reason behind his discomfort.
"If it's our Guildmaster we're talking about, he might not be satisfied with just acquiring swords," Boo Seung-Tae said.
"Huh?"
"The skeletons that appear here... they're probably the swordsmen buried in the Graveyard of Blades, right?"
"Pardon?"
"That sounds pretty dangerous to me."
"Even if they were swordsmen in life, they aren't anymore, right?"
"That's true..."
Han Hae had a point. That was why Boo Seung-Tae couldn't quite say what was on his mind with certainty.
Still, he had done his part as a senior. "Be careful anyway. Our Guildmaster enjoys making people suffer."
***
Han Hae, an A-Class Hunter, always stirred regret in Kim Ki-Rok whenever they crossed paths in any Attempt. Although he possessed a very useful skill, he usually worked as an independent Hunter and died during an S-Class Gate Break.
That wasn't to say he never joined a guild. He often became part of large guilds across multiple Attempts. The problem lay in the training methods used by those large guilds. Typically, new members were expected to dedicate themselves to training at first. This was because gaining additional stats through training was easier when one's level—or more precisely, one's base stats—were still low.
The problem was that Han Hae could never fully commit to training. Not long after joining a guild, his mother, who worked in a factory, would fall ill. Of course, the guilds were more than willing to invest in someone with promise, and they were prepared to lend him money for her surgery and hospitalization.
However, Han Hae had refused their help. He held deeply negative views about borrowing money, shaped by the hardships caused by his father, who had been betrayed by those he trusted. Eventually, Han Hae left his guild and became an independent Hunter.
His strength grew quickly thanks to his B-Class skill, which let him control five swords at once, but that rapid growth came at a cost. For his family's sake, he rushed into harder Gates with each level-up, building his progress on a shaky foundation. In the end, he collapsed like a castle built on loose sand.
Kim Ki-Rok, burdened by regret over Han Hae's wasted potential, took precautions during the next Attempt. He ensured that Han Hae's mother received proper medical care, allowing Han Hae to remain in a large guild.
As expected, the guild's training molded him into a long-range dealer, wielding swords like a telekinetic to deliver safe, efficient damage from afar. It was a logical outcome for someone with the ability to control multiple weapons, and a promising path by most standards.
But for Kim Ki-Rok, it wasn't enough. He could only sigh, knowing that this practical approach dulled the edge of Han Hae's true brilliance.
In his next Attempt, Kim Ki-Rok secretly and consistently supported Han Hae, turning him into a true master of Sword Manipulation. But this resulted in the worst outcome of all.
Having learned the fear of poverty from a young age, and after experiencing repeated betrayals, Han Hae became obsessed with money after a streak of victories. Before long, he was a Hunter more akin to a villain.
This wouldn't have happened had his parents supported him, but they moved to the countryside as soon as Han Hae reached adulthood. He remained in Seoul, taking up the life of a Hunter on his own.
After that, Kim Ki-Rok had given up on Han Hae in the following Attempt. It was a shame, but secretly helping Han Hae had proven too taxing and time-consuming. He had even invited Han Hae to join his guild but was flatly rejected.
In one Attempt, he was rejected because his guild was only medium-sized. In another, Han Hae had been suspicious because Kim Ki-Rok made the offer before the guild was officially registered with the Association.
"How should I train him..." Kim Ki-Rok muttered, annoyance creeping into his voice as he stared at Han Hae's guild application on his monitor.
After all, Han Hae had joined his guild of his own volition this time. It felt only natural to care for a lamb that had willingly come to him.
"Hehehehe..."
Hope you're ready... Kim Ki-Rok thought, now cackling mischievously. Here's an opportunity for you!
1. Green onion chicken ☜