Chapter 91 A Man Growing Too Fast (8)
The metal thread shimmered with a translucent golden color. Kang Shin-hyuk was carefully stretching it out with his tongs to process it with a polishing tool carefully. They were working with a concentration so intense that they were barely breathing. Now all that remained was the finishing touches.
“Hey junior, praise me. Quickly praise this genius’s magic circle creation ability.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to praise my processing power above that?” The two young craftsmen fussed with each other as they reached the end of their work. If Lee Manwoo were there, they would’ve been too embarrassed to talk so candidly, but these days he hadn’t been showing up out of consideration for them.
“Apart from the processing ability… you’ve changed a lot in the short time since you’ve made that sword.”
“How so?”
“The second collaboration feels more comfortable?” Perhaps that was because Kang Shin-hyuk wasn’t focused on accommodating Le Na-hee anymore.
“Yes, your expression has improved. It was a woman, after all…”
“Do you really want to fight?”
“I’m joking.” The conversation between the two had also become smoother, not just their work together. But he did really wish she would stop making fun of him. Kang Shin-hyuk stood back up after their break, stretching out.
“Let’s get back to it. I want to finish up quickly.”
“Okay~” Lee Na-hee yawned, taking out a can of coffee from the club fridge. She took a sip before taking out several sugar cubes from a box on the desk, chewing on them one at a time. It was a peculiar sight, although one he was getting used to.
“Why don’t you add it to the coffee from the start?”
“It’s different.”
“Is it…?” He laughed off her response and entered the workshop. He placed the objects they had made on the workbench. The first was a black glove with metallic trinkets attached to it. If the metal thread they made were like a bullet, this glove could be called the gun. Each metal thread was ejected through a small hole in the tip of the glove fingers, and by touching buttons on the joints of the glove, it was possible to perform more complex operations like pulling the thread back or changing directions.
“How’d you come up with this?”
“Just look at comics. There are tons of people who can manipulate threads to cut through their enemies.”
“Wow, an otaku…”
“I just looked at that for reference. This should be a bit more manageable.” To be specific, the design had been taken from a comic called the Death Doll Company Dark Spider, which he had burned two years ago. There were many other weapon designs in there, like the God-King Sword or the Heaven-Hell Break Hammer, but most of them would remain quietly asleep without ever seeing the light.
“It’s easy to handle…I think it’s great, but it’s more like art.” Lee Na-hee examined the gloves seriously.
“It can be used to fight monsters, and even defeat them. But it’s a work of art that can’t be properly utilized without a specific trait or ability. It’s fun, for sure, and unique…but can it really be used?” It was an important point to consider, but Kang Shin-hyuk could only laugh.
“You don’t know my traits in detail.”
“Does this support your traits?” Lee Na-hee tilted her head as if it asks, ‘Is shooting a thread a martial art?’ While his Dragon’s Fan Dance would certainly be helpful in using it, that wasn’t quite what he was thinking. Kang Shin-hyuk raised his tongs with a sly expression.
“Let’s complete it, then I’ll demonstrate it later.”
“Alright, then…” She wasn’t convinced, but she nodded. She couldn’t understand its potential as a weapon, but she still acknowledged it was a great piece of work.
“Don’t waste any…”
“We calculated this from the start.” The last task was to cut the finished 100m long metal thread into five 20m parts that could shoot out from the glove. They would be stored in a combat case that was larger internally so that the thread could be stored without any problems. By attaching that case to the forearm and connecting it to the glove, the glove could fire the thread through the fingertips at any time. The work was completed once Lee Na-hee carved the final magic circle into the glove. At that moment, a message appeared in front of both of them at once.
-You’ve succeeded in creating [Lightning Spider Web (A-)] using both mana and spiritual power. Your proficiency with metallurgy has greatly increased.
-You’ve succeeded in creating [Lightning Cobweb (B)] with both mana and spiritual power. Your proficiency with metallurgy has increased.
-Synchronization has increased—current rate of 23.2%.
Kang Shin-hyuk let out a deep sigh. The spider web referred to the metal thread they made using the Lightning Urot, and the cobweb referred to the glove itself. He thought the rank might be lower because it was made with leather she had brought as the main material.
“I thought it was just cowhide.”
“It was from a lesser gorgon.”
“Lesser gorgon?!” Lesser was the name given to monsters that were of a lower class of their species. A lesser gorgon was a lower class of Gorgon, a bull monster that was at least S rank. It was a terrible monster that spewed a petrifying gas out of its massive metal body. The lower class had less power than a proper one, but it was still of good enough quality to ensure a B-rank artifact.
“I had nothing to worry about.”
“That’s why you should collaborate with me.”
“Alright.” She said it was just lying about the house. Did she really have such a thing just laying about? Her parents must be incredible, but he couldn’t bring that up. Lee Na-hee was focused on the artifacts they created, unaware of his internal struggles. He decided to examine them himself as well.
[Lightning cobweb]
[B rank]
[Special Abilities: Acceleration, Hardening]
*Acceleration: Speeds up the ejection and recovery speed of the thread.
* Hardening: Increases the hardness and binding force of the thread.
Honestly, he hadn’t been expecting much for the gloves. They were to handle the thread, and he had created them with the vague thought that it would be nice if they were strong. But they had ended up with a useful power that enhanced the ability of the thread. On the other hand, acceleration was probably from Lee Na-hee. She didn’t understand the concept behind the gloves, so she had just desired that the gloves would be easier to use.
“Senior, look at this too. It came out better than expected.”
“It’s B-rank. It’s a great thing to carry even for an active superhuman.” Unlike last time, when he had made the B-rank sword, he was more content with the end product this time.
“Look…it has a special ability.” Lee Na-hee let out a cry of excitement as she examined the thread.
“It’s crazy…” She handed the [Lightning Spider Web (A-)] over to him. Intrigued by her expression of joy, he confirmed the status of it himself. His expression soon mirrored hers.
[Lightning spider web]
[A-rank]
[Special Abilities: Lightning Stroke, Lightning Warfare, Wishful
*Lightning Stroke: At the user’s will, the power of lightning can be added to the thread.
*Lightning Warfare: The speed of the thread doubles when lightning is added to it.
*Wishful: Spirit or mana can be injected to lengthen or shorten the length of the thread. The weight can also be adjusted.
“Oh…”
“Isn’t it great?”
“It’s amazing…” He had just thought it would be nice if it had the power of lightning. He thought that would be possible with his current abilities. But he had gone above that, thanks to his cooperation with Lee Na-hee.
“I was expecting it because it’s A-rank, but this much is incredible.”
“Three special abilities…and two of them enhance its lightning properties!” Lee Na-hee became excited when it came to artifacts.
“But this last one…maybe by studying it, we can reproduce one of the legendary artifacts. My enchantment and your ability has such an absurd possibility…!” Kang Shin-hyuk understood why she was excited; he could feel it too. This was the first time he had made an artifact with three special abilities.
“But, I wish I could make a staff or sword with this instead!”
“Well, I can handle this properly.” Kang Shin-hyuk put the thread in the case and attached it to his forearm, putting on the glove afterward. It was light enough that it could be concealed in a coat.
“I’ll try it now.”
“It’s dangerous, so point it away from me.” Kang Shin-hyuk turned the glove around, checking to make sure his trait was applying to it. Once he confirmed it, there was no problem with the rest.
“Then…” Kang Shin-hyuk snapped his fingers with a loud popping sound. His jacket, which was across the room, was now wrapped in a translucent golden thread. He lifted his index finger, and it quickly flew toward him.
“Ah?!” Lee Na-hee let out a loud scream, unable to deny what she witnessed with her own eyes. She rushed over to him to check the jacket he had caught. The thread was already retreating back into the glove, not a trace on the jacket itself.
“How’d you do it?!”
“This is fun. I can move it at will, so next time I can check the multi-management and attack capabilities.”
“So how’d you do it?!” From the start, it was manufactured to be a tool to assist Kang Shin-hyuk’s mobility and power, but it was also possible to use it for more delicate operations. Maybe that was thanks to its third special ability. Kang Shin-hyuk stood up with a satisfied look.
“Thank you for helping me, senior. Thanks to you, I made a good weapon.”
“That’s it, so let me know in detail how you handled it…!”
“Then I’ll go. Actually, I have something to do.”
“Tell me!” Kang Shin-hyuk stood up and ignored Lee Na-hee, whose eyes were sparkling.
His weapon was finally complete.