[DING! ARTIFACT "SCARLET THORN" TARGETED]
[DO YOU WANT TO INJECT THE CONCEPT "FEATHER'S WEIGHT" INTO THE ARTIFACT?]
Yes.
[INJECTION IN PROGRESS…]
[DING! ARTIFACT "SCARLET THORN" SUCCESSFULLY INJECTED WITH "FEATHER'S WEIGHT"]
[REMAINING FREE INJECTIONS: 2]
Oh, it's done?
[HOST MAY VIEW THE INJECTED CONCEPT WINDOW]
---
{INJECTED CONCEPT WINDOW
INJECTED CONCEPT:
TARGET:
BOUND USERS:
Remedy (host)
---
BIND A USER? [YES/NO]
}
---
Remedy lifted Scarlet Thorn slightly.
He immediately felt the weapon's weight vanish.
So that's how it works.
He set it back down.
Good. Bind Seraphina. And unbind me.
[DING! SERAPHINA SUCCESSFULLY BOUND TO "FEATHER'S WEIGHT" ON "SCARLET THORN"]
[DING! HOST SUCCESSFULLY UNBOUND FROM "FEATHER'S WEIGHT" ON "SCARLET THORN"]
---
BOUND USERS:
Seraphina (guest)
---
BIND A USER? [YES/NO]
---
He removed his hand from the blade.
"It's done, miss."
"You can check."
She took the weapon without delay.
The moment she tried to lift it, she felt it.
"The weight… it's really gone?"
She swung it left and right, up and down, in every direction—even switched hands.
Scarlet Thorn remained as light as a feather in her grip.
She handed the weapon to a guard.
He took it and ran every check he could, then passed it to the other guard.
Same result.
To them, Scarlet Thorn kept its full weight.
"That's an interesting skill."
"Hoho! You flatter me."
Remedy couldn't hide his joy.
This was his first injection. And it felt good.
Then Seraphina pulled out her phone, displaying a scan code.
Remedy took out his and scanned it.
[YOU HAVE RECEIVED 25,000.00 CREDITS]
Then she raised her hand and offered him a card.
"Here's my guild card."
She leaned in and murmured:
"I hope this helps you get out of here alive."
Then she left with her guards.
Remedy stood there, stunned for a moment.
Well. I already owe her one?
Haaa. That move of yours is really something, miss…
---
Inside Seraphina's car.
"You need to be more careful, miss."
"You shouldn't hand your weapon to a stranger at the black market for enchanting."
"Relax. There's nothing to worry about."
"You even gave him your card."
"Oh, that? He left a good impression. And also…"
"And also?"
"No. Just drive."
She exhaled softly.
A faint residue of light escaped from behind her blindfold—as if something was stirring beneath.
A small smile curled at the corner of her lips.
See you around… enchanter.
---
Meanwhile, Remedy's actions had not gone unnoticed.
He felt eyes on him.
He ignored them.
He raised his hand and called for the staff.
The employee approached.
"How may I help you?"
Remedy took the tablet and tapped on the hammer.
"I'm buying this weapon."
"Understood. I'll bring it right away."
The employee left.
A moment later, he returned with the hammer on its transport stand—a ton of raw metal, 2.11 meters long.
"Here is your order."
What an imposing weapon.
Kind of feels like overkill.
"Can I test it?"
"As you wish."
He grasped the hammer.
Injection.
[INJECTION IN PROGRESS…]
[DING! ARTIFACT "GREAT HAMMER" SUCCESSFULLY INJECTED WITH "FEATHER'S WEIGHT"]
[REMAINING FREE INJECTIONS: 1]
---
{INJECTED CONCEPT WINDOW
INJECTED CONCEPT:
TARGET:
BOUND USERS:
Remedy (host)
---
BIND A USER? [YES/NO]
}
---
Then, to everyone's shock, he lifted the hammer with one hand.
Silence. The expressions on their faces said everything.
Then Remedy began wielding the hammer with breathtaking speed.
The weapon traced rapid arcs—grazing his shoulder, sliding under his armpit, spinning behind his back before slicing through the air in front of him.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded.
Then Remedy balanced the hammer on a single fingertip, spun it like a top, and caught it with his other hand.
"Perfect. I like this weapon."
The onlookers stood slack-jawed.
Had they really just watched a level 5 swing a 1,000 kg warhammer like it was a toy?
The question was written on every face.
The greedy eyes fixed on Remedy quickly looked away.
At the black market, getting jumped was easy. Even easier if you were a low-level.
But after what Remedy had just shown, no one dared try anything.
A beginner playing with 1,000 kg? Impossible.
On top of that, he had openly provoked Seraphina—called her timid, incapable of making her own decisions. And yet, she had still given him her guild card.
Even if he was bluffing, he now looked like a genius. Or a potential recruit in Seraphina's eyes.
Who would dare challenge the Sullen Guild?
No one.
Remedy held out his phone. The employee scanned the code.
[PAYMENT RECEIVED: 25,000 CREDITS]
"Thank you for your purchase, honored customer."
Remedy stored the hammer in his inventory.
Hoho. Looks like I'll get out of here alive after all.
The snake pit had just released him.
---
Dawn broke.
The day of the exam.
All participants had gathered on the school grounds.
Remedy stood among the crowd when a familiar voice called out from behind.
He turned.
Jett.
Flanked by Leo and Marcus.
"So you actually came," Jett said.
"You didn't expect me to?" Remedy replied.
"Of course not. You'd come no matter what. Everyone knows how stubborn you are."
"But what are you going to do now? I'll remind you—you don't have a class."
"Oh, that? Don't worry. It's a minor issue."
"If you say so."
They started to walk past him.
Then Jett stopped.
Without turning around, he said:
"Ah, by the way. If we run into each other, don't act surprised."
"I'm going to destroy you."
"A man doesn't run from challenges," Remedy replied.
"Haha. Hope you're still a man when that happens."
Jett (Level: 8)
Then—
"Silence. "
A voice that drowned out every sound on the field.
The young Players looked up toward its source.
A man stood there, before the crowd.
Then light erupted behind him—followed by cracks, as if reality itself was breaking apart.
A dimensional portal opened within the light.
Dungeon Level 3–11: The Devouring Forest
[DING! FREE INJECTIONS ALMOST DEPLETED. THE HOST IS PRAYED TO BEGIN DEVOURING.]
---
Chapter 4 – End