Merba (4)

Even though they found the destination, they couldn’t move right away. An army of artifacts was flying in towards Kang Shin-hyuk, and the work of controlling [Lullaby] wasn’t completely finished. He could also feel strong energy condensing from a distance.

“… That’s where your traces are. Maybe these weapons were instinctively looking for traces of you.”

“Hmm, I don’t think it was out of filial piety.”

A group of weapons flew at him with terrible energy, focusing only on him despite there being others with him. Kang Shin-hyuk, who ripped them apart with the sandstorm, felt no danger.

“Come, Anvil.”

“Wow… I might have to work hard on that too.”

With Tsukuyo’s quiet whisper, even Shu looked tense. Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head and looked ahead. He saw something like tentacles with dozens of red metallic blades emitting weird light. The moment it appeared, it felt like the temperature had dropped. Whatever it was, it was growing a little bit bigger by eating the other artifacts in the area.

“X… No, more than that…”

“There seems to be a trait that has the edge over all weapons. Uh, isn’t that a little dangerous?”

“Absolutely Anvil’s work. It’s the best masterpiece you’ve ever made in this world.”

“Please don’t call it a masterpiece.”

Certainly, when he first made it, that weapon would’ve been common. But how much had it gone through? Kang Shin-hyuk was unable to laugh or cry, but Claire expressed it briefly and accurately.

“It looks like you should check your sanity level first.”

“I don’t know what it was originally.”

“Yes, maybe that’s why it became so strong. It looks like it’s eating randomly.”

The power of the so-called ‘Predation’ series, which had grown in strength by eating things, proved to be very famous. Kang Shin-hyuk’s pet, Onyx, had that ability, as did the Dark Spirit Pearl. However, such power wasn’t common. If it were, the whole universe would be over. At least, the Anvil from before entering the shelter wouldn’t have the ability to create such artifacts. However, at this point, even the [Lullaby] on this planet had that power. It was a result of the seeds planted by Anvil being completed with the addition of human greed. That was it. Those weapons, forced to sleep for many years, may have stolen power from it.

“Should I stop it, grandpa?”

Kang Shin-hyuk could not move while manipulating the sandstorm, so Shu tried to step out, but Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head and stopped her.

“No, that’s a good fit.”

“Hm?”

-Myuuuuu!

Before Kang Shin-hyuk could answer, Onyx emerged from the blue cow and bounced into the air. As he communicated with spiritual power, Onyx already understood his will and took action. He laughed at the little guy’s aggressive spirit before using the wind to float him lightly. Then, he aimed him at the stupid-looking mythical creatures flying towards them and fired him off.

-Myuuuuuuuuuuu!

Kang Shin-hyuk used his God Wind to fire off Onyx like a shell. While everyone watched, Onyx rushed in a straight line to clash with the terrible weapon. What resulted was really fierce predation.

“Oh, wow…”

“I thought it had great potential, but I didn’t know…”

It was rare to see Tsukuyo surprised. Kang Shin-hyuk watched Onyx with a bloody smile. He was devouring the whole thing by spreading his own magic power. They probably had similar abilities, but the difference was that Onyx wasn’t made of metal. Thus, he could unilaterally eat his target.

“Wouldn’t it be possible for Onyx to eat everything from the start?”

“He can eat weapons, but he’s not immune to them. If he was exposed to countless weapons, he’d be injured.”

If every problem could be solved like that from the start, he would have. However, the reason it was possible now was that Onyx’s foes were also only using his predation ability. Simply, he won the rock, paper, scissors fight.

“Besides… Yes, I thought it was my responsibility to deal with these guys. In the end, I had to borrow Onyx’s power.”

A bitter smile appeared on Kang Shin-hyuk’s lips. It was true that he tried to solve it with his own strength. However, while the other artifacts could be devoured by the Lullaby, that artifact which copied Lullaby’s power wasn’t so easily dealt with. It was true he wanted to strengthen Onyx as well, so it worked out.

-Myu!

“Oh, you suffered. And don’t do that.”

After eating, Onyx let out a lively cry and returned to Kang Shin-hyuk’s side. The problem was that by expressing the ability of what he had just eaten, his body began to radiate red light, turning all the thorns on his back into blades comparable to the one he ate.

-Myuuuu!

“No, I’ll take care of the rest. Don’t think about eating more and stay quiet.”

-Myu?!

Onyx had wasn’t strong. However, this time, he was able to express his ability aggressively against a well-matched opponent. Specifically, it wasn’t enough to judge Onyx himself as an X-rank monster. If you considered the special abilities only he had, he was already at a level beyond quite a few Hero Universe members.

“No other VIP has this kind of family.”

“After all, grandpa makes the best no matter what.”

“Make? What? Well, yes. Let’s say I made it.”

-Myu?!

After that, Kang Shin-hyuk took control of the sands and sorted all of the remaining artifacts in that ruined world.

“…”

Kang Shin-hyuk closed his eyes and silently apologized to all the children he had created in the past, but who had grown up improperly because he threw them away. Whether it was [Lullaby] or the weapons, everyone had been waiting for him to arrive.

“Okay, then.”

“Shall we go right away, Anvil?”

“No, please wait a second. I can’t leave the Lullaby like this.”

Large holes had pierced the sand desert, revealing the terrible sights beneath it. It might’ve just been better to cover it, but the Lullaby was also a child of Anvil. He couldn’t leave it there.

“Since amplification and splitting are possible, so is compression.”

No, to be precise, the moment Tsukuyo fired her attack, the Lullaby had compressed to absorb it. The result was that glass crystal (he wondered if it turned to glass from the heat, but it was slightly different). Now, the sand moved around Kang Shin-hyuk’s party.

“Compression.”

The moment he reached out a hand and muttered that all the sand connected through the spiritual network began to collect at a point in front of his palm. The unfamiliar planet covered under it… The cemetery revealed its real form.

“Wow…”

“This…”

Even Tsukuyo, who had lived through many years and had been through many dimensions, frowned. As it had been covered with hundreds of meters of sand and been preserved by it, the appearance of the planet Merba was a bleak and naked landscape of destruction. Kang Shin-hyuk ignored it and focused only on the sand gathering in front of him. It was being compressed into a single point, at first in the shape of a sphere, but as more sand gathered, it morphed.

“Huh…? Shin-hyuk, this.”

Claire’s eyes went wide at it. Yes, she would respond that way, as close to Eunah as she was. The sand converging in front of him took the form of a tiny hairpin.

“This… Wasn’t it the hairpin you gave Eunah?”

Yes, it looked exactly like the hairpin Anvil had given Eunah, the same one she had always worn.

“No. This… I made it before that.”

However, Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head firmly.

-Synchronization has weakly accelerated- current rate of 99.9%.

A face came to his mind, that of a small child who danced with joy while holding that hairpin. He already knew it was an immutable past, and he already knew that it had happened in a previous life. Nevertheless, he couldn’t stand that distorted face.

“This… It’s the hairpin I made for my daughter in my previous life.”

“…Ah.”

That’s why he thought of making one for Eunah’s birthday. That’s why he gave the child a hairpin and cursed himself for being stupid. Perhaps Kang Shin-hyuk, having regained those memories, couldn’t accept Shin Eunah because of that. She had worn that hairpin, which looked exactly like the one his daughter had.

“I can’t forgive… They tried to create a weapon using an object with such precious memories…”

Tsukuyo was outraged, but Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head and held her back, seeing several black tails rising behind her.

“If you’re angry, there’s no one to take it out on… They were completely destroyed. Yes, it’s all over, so don’t worry.”

“Anvil…”

“Grandpa, are you okay?”

Only then did everyone notice why Kang Shin-hyuk had been in contact with [Lullaby], and why his expression was so complicated. Claire now completely understood those complex feelings behind his interactions with Shin Eunah. But even then, Kang Shin-hyuk didn’t know the secrets of the hairpin in detail…

“…But Anvil.”

Tsukuyo, hesitating, spoke up.

“Why take your daughter’s belongings? Did the humans have it?”

“…”

According to his memories, he heard that his daughter and wife died after a monster attack, and not even a body was left behind… So why did this hairpin that had no special powers remain?

“Maybe the hairpin was separated and kept safe.”

“…Anvil.”

Tsukuyo regarded him coolly.

“Why not read the memories of [Lullaby] deeper?”

Tsukuyo didn’t hesitate to bring up the possibility he tried to deny. Was this the reason the administrator had sent her along? As Tsukuyo said earlier, she found traces of him. If so, maybe…

“Tsukuyo… First of all, it would be better to go to the place where you found traces of me.”

“If you mean to, I’ll do it. I’ll keep sticking with you.”

“Wow, it’s really fiery. Honey, come on.”

“Yes. Thanks.”

“Then I… Ouch!”

“That’s why I can’t help it.”

Onyx and the blue cow turned back into a car, and they began to head into the direction Tsukuyo led them.

It was the smithy where he had stayed after entering the shelter.