Ranker Who Lives Twice

Chapter 367 Sky Wings (5)

Team: HH, Yahiko, thursdays, Seven(temp)

『This time, it’s wings. You are the strangest master I’ve met in my later years. You ask me to make all kinds of things.』

The Cyclops, Brontes, couldn’t help but shake his head when he saw the 444 feathers that Yeon-woo brought in.

Recently, the three Cyclops brothers had been concentrating on repairing the weapons brought by Dis Pluto or restoring the broken holy territory.

Dis Pluto hadn’t had a stable supply for a long time, so the Cyclops brothers had many things to deal with.

Fortunately, Yeon-woo had a lot of goods, and he could always obtain more supplies through Atlan if needed.

Dis Pluto felt like they had finally encountered an oasis after trudging through a hot, dry desert.

Thanks to him.

Little by little, smiles began to appear on the faces of the lieutenants and soldiers, which had only shown irritation and anxiety before.

This was the first time in decades they were able to feel ‘relaxed.’

And their trust in Yeon-woo, who made it all possible, increased by the day.

Even those who were dissatisfied with Yeon-woo because he broke Hades’s truce began to accept his actions, claiming he must have had a reason.

In fact, there had been no movements from Titans or Giants yet, and the scouts that they sent out continuously reported nothing unusual.

It was as if the armistice was still being upheld. Dis Pluto was able to reorganize at a fast pace.

However, contrary to their expectations, Yeon-woo had not appeared in front of Dis Pluto for over half a month.

Everyone believed this was because he was being punished for violating the truce.

The members were unable to ask for his release because the honor of their master, Hades, was at stake, so they could only shuffle their feet.

Brontes, on the other hand, was aware that the true situation wasn’t what it appeared to be and that Yeon-woo was actually preparing something under the guise of imprisonment.

Nevertheless, the feathers he’d brought with him were understandably surprising.

『……What the hell are these?』

He hadn’t understood what he was talking about when he asked him to make wings.

But when he inspected the feathers, he couldn’t help but be surprised.

Every feather was tremendously heavy.

No, to be specific, they exuded spiritual pressure.

For people with ordinary souls, just having these feathers near them would be enough for their souls to be swept away and torn apart by the sheer amount of pressure.

A sinister, sticky void seemed to seep out of these black feathers.

Brontes was able to tell what this “thing” was.

Death.

It was something he’d already experienced. It was filled with laws that no one who was bound by fate could resist.

Death had various forms.

It was sometimes depicted as a deadly disease, a peaceful sleep, or painful fatality.

In fact, Hades himself wouldn’t recklessly use this great power.

Even Brontes, who had produced numerous items for the gods of Olympus, had never seen a divine item like this one.

Fragments of transcendence. Those words seemed to fit.

It was like cutting off the parts of the divinity of various individuals and throwing them together at random.

If he were to process it, the new power of this divine item would depend on whether the user could digest it.

How did he get this?

It was too much.

“This is the structure of the wings. It’ll be used for a skill, but I would still like its physical form to be equipable so I can use it as a weapon or a shield in an emergency. I would like it to have the buoyancy of a bird’s wings so I can fly freely in the air.”

Yeon-woo and Jeong-woo had put their heads together for several days before they could complete this design.

It was a blueprint of the left wing.

The structure was quite detailed. The blueprint was so densely covered in the information about the parts, material, and magical items required for each component that just looking at it was enough to make one’s eyes hurt.

On the other hand, it was so detailed that anyone with some knowledge could easily picture its finished form.

Brontes recreated the left wing in his head before he almost collapsed in agony.

『So complicated.』

He couldn’t help but feel that no item could compare to this one.

The feathers alone were amazing, but the process to incorporate all of them into the left wing was incredibly complicated.

If he was able to make it according to the design, it would surely be very practical.

The wings, which were divided into three layers, were incredibly durable, so they would be like armor when wrapped around the body. The tips and edges of the wings were like sharp swords, so even if Yeon-woo was forced into a battle on the ground, he would be able to sweep through almost any enemy.

It had the usefulness of Jeong-woo’s Sky Wings with the added characteristics and advantages of the Wings of Fire.

The power of fire, which could be spread along the wings, could be used as a trump card in case of an emergency.

In addition, it could perform various functions since they supplemented the parts that Yeon-woo wanted to add.

If he had only wanted the buff, he would not have insisted on something as cumbersome as a large pair of wings.

Instead, Yeon-woo hoped that it would be his skill, armor, and an all-round weapon that he could use like a limb.

It was for this reason that he showed it to Brontes.

『You’re trying to pick up the entire mulberry tree with this one. I don’t think there is any divine item that can compare to this.』

“…..How is that possible?”

『I’ll have to try to know for sure. If you don’t mind, can I give you a piece of advice?』

Brontes was an outstanding craftsman who had already created three divine items of his own. Therefore, his opinion was more than welcome.

“Please go ahead.”

『There are too many magic squares inscribed on this part of the shaft, so it would be inefficient when magic power is supplied. But if you spread them out like this and make them work like a cogwheel…….』

* * *

While Yeon-woo was talking about the left wing with Brontes.

『……I can’t believe it.』

『Long time no see, Mi… no, Nemesis. You look completely different. If I hadn’t heard, I wouldn’t have recognized you.』

Jeong-woo greeted Nemesis with a happy expression on his face.

However, Nemesis was still confused, and his eyes were shaking nonstop.

He had already seen Jeong-woo again through Yeon-woo’s eyes.

He never thought about seeing him in person.

He was afraid.

Afraid that he was only hallucinating.

Or that he was maybe dreaming again.

During the long period that he was wandering in the void, Nemesis dreamed constantly. He dreamed of the times he shared with Jeong-woo. Of them wrestling, rolling down stairs, and laughing together.

He was always by Jeong-woo’s side.

And now, Jeong-woo, whom he had been missing dearly, had reappeared before him. Naturally, he couldn’t help but be afraid.

Afraid that he would reach out and Jeong-woo would disappear again. That he would end up being just a temporary illusion.

He was certain that if that were to happen, his heart, which was being held together by sheer willpower, would collapse.

However.

『You’re still so quiet』

『……It’s really you.』

Nemesis could see that the man in front of him was the real Jeong-woo.

But contrary to his expectations, his heart didn’t feel like it would explode now that he was looking at him in person.

Nemesis was also much calmer than usual. This didn’t mean that his happiness had disappeared.

It was just like meeting a friend who you hadn’t seen in a long time. It was great to see them, but it wasn’t a big deal.

You could greet them naturally.

Jeong-woo hugged Nemesis and stroked his human torso-sized head for a while.

『But tell me something. What happened to you? I heard that Kalatus sent you into the void.』

Jeong-woo asked a question that had been floating around in his head for a long time.

No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out how Kalatus was still alive. He had definitely seen him return to mana’s embrace after giving his lair and Dragon Heart to Nemesis.

He’d wondered if he left a thought body, but it wasn’t that either.

If that was the case, he definitely would have noticed after Kalatus returned to mana’s embrace.

However, it was the ancient dragon Kalatus who had sent Nemesis to the void and told him to wait.

Yeon-woo had also said that he’d heard Kalatus’s voice when he first awakened his Dragon Body. He even told him that he would be waiting at the Dragon Temple.

This meant something was going on.

Something he didn’t know about.

『What the hell is going on?』

『Master and I think it’s Kalatus who sent you, the old Master, back to Earth with the pocket watch.』

『Me and the pocket watch……?』

Jeong-woo suddenly stood to his feet without realizing it.

『That’s why I’m curious.』

Nemesis’s gaze deepened.

『Old Master, how did you know that pocket watch would be completely hidden? This is something that I always wondered. You had such confidence that you didn’t even leave a written diary.』

『…….』

Jeong-woo didn’t say anything.

No, he couldn’t.

It was as if his brain had stopped functioning and he could no longer think deeply.

As if something was blocking his current train of thought.

Nemesis’s eyes widened as he realized something from Jeong-woo’s reaction.

『You……?』

Then.

『Never speak of this, Nemesis.』

Brahm’s urgent voice sounded in Nemesis’s head. His voice was filled with bitterness.

『Not a word.』

Nemesis seemed to realize what was happening as he, too, fell silent.

* * *

“Why do you look like that?”

Yeon-woo tilted his head slightly as he looked at Jeong-woo’s stiff face.

『Hyung. I…….』

“……?”

『No. It’s nothing.』

Jeong-woo shook his head with a bitter smile.

Yeon-woo wondered what was going on, but Jeong-woo changed the subject before he could ask any more questions.

『What about the left wing? Is it finished?』

“The basic parts are finished.”

Yeon-woo had Boo engrave an enchanted tattoo on his back.

[The Black King’s frame is in operation.]

[The first order, ‘Soul Collector,’ was activated.]

[Successfully linked to Soul Collection.]

[The soul moves.]

[Magic power has been granted.]

….

[Aura has activated.]

Notifications followed one after another.

A complex seal that had been drawn on Yeon-woo’s back began to glow.

The glow was so bright that the seal was clearly visible even through his clothes.

Then.

[Skill ‘Sky Wings (Temporary, Left)’ activated.]

Hwaak—

Following a loud sound, a three-pronged wing covered in black flames appeared.

The black flames on this wing were so hot that even the surrounding air began to boil.

Each of the flames was transformed from the aura that was compressing the waves of fire to the limit.

This Black Aura, magic power, and the purple energy were compressed to the extreme. This aura, which could only be used with Vigrid before, now hung on his back with the Sky Wing as the medium.

『……You’re really crazy.』

Jeong-woo simply watched all of this with an exhausted expression.

Considering the destructive power of these flames, Yeon-woo was like a suicide bomber who was carrying hundreds or even thousands of bombs. But Yeon-woo didn’t seem to be worried about that.

At first, he did think about the fact that he could explode and completely destroy his surroundings.

But fortunately, it became a lot more stable thanks to the processing done by the three Cyclops brothers as well as the technical calculations of Brahm and Boo.

Therefore, he did not need to worry about exploding at all.

The only disadvantage was that it consumed a lot of magic power.

‘But my magic power is overflowing.’

Yeon-woo used the Atman System to connect a circuit from the Philosopher’s Stone to the left wing.

With the mana from the Soulstone, he didn’t have to worry about the flames on the wing going out even if he left it active for an entire year.

‘Instead, it’s my body that won’t be able to handle the strain and collapse before that happens.’

Yeon-woo clicked his tongue slightly before activating the second order that had been engraved on the left wing.

Far away, a channel to the sky, no, a server was opened.

[666 authorities have been activated one after the other.]

Based on the wings of black fire, 222 additional feathers were added to the original 444, giving off a red glow.

Following Yeon-woo’s order, numerous magic squares appeared in the wide space.

It was quite spectacular to see 666 authorities displaying various effects.

[All the gods of death nod happily.]

[All the demons of death sigh in relief, saying that you haven’t tarnished ‘His’ reputation.]

[Many gods are filled with astonishment.]

[Many demons stare at you with stiff expressions.]

[An anonymous god (1, Olympus) looks at you with a calm gaze.]

[An anonymous god (2, Olympus) is afraid.]

….

[Vimalacitra, who is very pleased by your performance, applauds in admiration.]

[Vimalacitra looks forward to meeting you someday.]

[Agares snorts scornfully, asking if it’s unnatural.]

Jeong-woo inspected the left wing with Draconic Eyes.

He was checking to ensure there weren’t any problems during the skill process, any confusion during the channeling, or if there were any problems with energy efficiency. It might not have been necessary then, but it was done in order to prevent possible problems in the future.

Fortunately, he didn’t notice any significant issues. All that was left were the small parts that they would slowly add in the future.

『I can’t find any problems for now. The Black King? It seems that uncle might have been a fraud.』

“I guess so.”

Yeon-woo nodded quietly.

In truth, if he didn’t have the power of the Black King as the core, it would not have been possible to complete the left wing so easily. The gods and demons of death were also much more cooperative than he’d expected.

Was it because he could strengthen the Black King’s authority? Or did they think it was a good opportunity to test the younger generation?

Whatever their goal was, it was a good result for Yeon-woo.

『You can add more authorities to the left wing as you organize them properly. So now, all that’s left is the right wing…….』

The right wing didn’t have a key component to tie it together like the Black King.

So Jeong-woo was curious as to what Yeon-woo would use as the core for his right wing.

Yeon-woo definitely had something planned.

But Jeong-woo was annoyed because when he asked, Yeon-woo simply smiled without giving him an answer.

So he was about to ask again.

“Cain! We’re in trouble!”

Suddenly, someone opened the door and burst into the room.

Yeon-woo put on his mask, and Jeong-woo quietly entered the pocket watch.

“What is it?”

It was Doyle who opened the door.

Huk, huk.

He was panting heavily, and his face was filled with urgency.

“Hyung! Do you know Aether?”

Under his mask, Yeon-woo’s face stiffened. He glanced down at the pocket watch in his hand for a brief moment.

The watch’s second hand was frozen.

“Those guys…… what about them?”

Doyle answered Yeon-woo’s question with a stiff face.

“They’re looking for you, Hyung.”