Chapter 74
Arms Expo Bidding Fair (4)
Murmurs──
“The creator? That person?”
“Why have they been hiding until now?”
The crowd buzzed briefly at the appearance of the creator.
‘You put such an inexperienced-looking kid in front?’
Baozi was rather taken aback at Taejong’s uncharacteristic way of handling things.
Handing the microphone to such a young man who didn’t even seem fully grown…
It was like putting a perfectly-prepared meal straight into someone’s mouth.
Baozi opened his mouth while hiding his unease.
“If you are the creator, I must ask—why didn’t you engrave the seal of Cheonji Workshop?”
This expo showcased various weapons.
But one thing could never be forgotten: the origin of all these weapons was Cheonji Workshop.
Stellar-powered weapons could only be produced at Cheonji Workshop.
The purpose of the expo was to showcase weapons that had been adapted and modified for different communities.
To remind everyone of this, every weapon carried the Cheonji Workshop seal.
This was meant to curb any arrogance about claiming full ownership of the creation.
So, a weapon without the seal shouldn’t exist.
“You have violated the sacred, unwritten rule of weapon creators.”
“…….”
The attendees murmured in agreement.
Who would argue with maintaining proper etiquette?
What was irritating, though, was that Baozi’s criticism wasn’t out of respect for the rule.
‘He just doesn’t want us to win, that dumpling guy.’
“Please explain yourself, creator of Taejong.”
The young man looked confident, his expression unyielding.
The absence of the seal was a flaw in itself, leaving no room for excuses.
But at that moment, a voice came from the back of the audience.
“That has already been verified as not a problem.”
Everyone turned to see an expo staff member holding documents.
“These papers prove that Taejong’s entry is unrelated to Cheonji Workshop’s creations.”
“……What?”
Murmurs rose again──
A stellar-powered weapon not from Cheonji Workshop? Hard to comprehend.
Sehyeon continued to explain.
“This weapon operates on a completely different principle than those made by Cheonji Workshop. While typical weapons use stellar conductivity to channel a player’s stellar energy…”
He showed the soul stone embedded in the flag.
“This weapon manifests its own abilities, almost like an independent player.”
“Impossible… a weapon as a player!”
No one could hide their astonishment.
Who would even conceive that an object could function like a player?
“So, this soul stone grants the object life force…”
“Completely insane… yet makes sense.”
“True, even mindless monsters can use abilities, so why not a weapon?”
Although understanding wasn’t complete, some nodded.
The brief explanation sufficed to convey the idea of a ‘self-powered weapon.’
Well, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
‘Hailhwan said the same thing.’
He described the principle of the artifact as “an illusion aimed at the world.”
Awakening objects instead of humans—a kind of loophole.
Hence, artifact creators were generally unawakened.
Of course, Sehyeon, whose ability bloomed as [Mythic Empowerment], was an exception.
“Is that clear?”
Yet Baozi stubbornly argued.
“Even so, shouldn’t the seal be engraved as a matter of principle?”
“Principle?”
Sehyeon asked, and Baozi fell silent.
“Why is engraving a seal considered a principle? Just because it’s always been done?”
“……”
“You said it yourself earlier: the seal reminds us that the weapon’s origin is Cheonji Workshop.”
Cheonji Workshop was like a mother to stellar-powered weapons.
Every weapon bore its seal to prove it followed that origin.
But a seal is not a brand.
It isn’t something that cannot be removed.
“As much as we respect the mother, we must also grow independently. Isn’t that the duty of a disciple?”
What would a grandmother think if you said, ‘I grew under you, so I’ll always serve under you’?
She would kick you and tell you to stop being foolish.
She always wanted her disciples to surpass her.
Remaining forever under the teacher’s shadow only stifled progress.
Only when a disciple surpasses the teacher can higher achievement be reached.
“It’s not just my weapon. All of your weapons inherit from the grandmother and aim to advance further. By that logic, aren’t you also her disciples?”
The eyes of the weapon creators glimmered.
Being a disciple of Cheonji Workshop was a dream for weapon creators worldwide.
But that title was reserved solely for the Korean people.
Only the Korean people, who deeply embody the Dangun myth, could work at Cheonji Workshop.
Those who could not had to give up on the title.
“But you don’t need to work directly under her to be her disciple. Carrying on her spirit is the true way to become a disciple of Cheonji Workshop.”
Sehyeon was also just one weapon creator.
Yet he proudly claimed the title of Cheonji Workshop disciple.
Recognition wasn’t needed from anyone else; if you believe yourself to be a disciple, you can have pride in it.
The intention engraved in the weapon—to benefit players and people—was what mattered.
Believing in and following Cheonji Workshop’s spirit made anyone a disciple.
This stirred hope in the creators’ hearts.
‘Well, the lack of a seal isn’t solely for that reason.’
Engraving a seal wasn’t difficult.
But he avoided it for practical reasons.
‘It slightly reduces performance.’
Artifacts relied on details.
Sufficient stellar energy, appropriate myth, and properly constructed design mattered.
Even though the objects were made using Sage Powder, a slight imperfection wouldn’t make them useless.
But lower quality could reduce function.
‘So engraving a seal would interfere. The myth would conflict with practicality, breaking immersion.’
There was no need to explain this further.
The audience had just learned about the artifact; they wouldn’t grasp such details.
Besides, their hearts were already moved.
“……”
As the crowd’s excitement subsided, Baozi remained silent.
The lively atmosphere had calmed somewhat.
It was now time for the main demonstration.
“However, the item I am presenting today is not this cathedral’s flag.”
“……What?”
The audience murmured again.
After all the theatrics to showcase the flag, what was he saying now?
“You all saw it earlier. This flag perfectly blocked the monster’s attacks, right?”
“Yes.”
“So, what happens next?”
“……Next?”
Sehyeon looked around, meeting everyone’s eyes.
“What happens after the monster’s attacks are blocked? How does the knight survive?”
“Well, wait for rescue…”
“And if no rescue comes? Must you simply wait to die?”
“……!!”
During the 12-3 emergency assembly, that was the case.
Knowing the future allowed them to respond; otherwise, everyone would have perished.
If a forced shutdown happened without knowledge of the internal situation, as in a past life…
It would have been a massacre.
In such a situation, ‘absolute defense’ was meaningless.
The stellar energy maintaining that defense would deplete.
There was only one solution.
“There’s an old saying: the best defense is a good offense.”
Sehyeon gestured, and Geumgangtae brought a heavy briefcase.
Click─!
Opening it revealed a dagger.
A one-span blade resembling a silver cross.
Sehyeon thrust it into the flagpole’s tip.
Swinging the cross-shaped flag a few times, he slammed the pole into the floor.
Then──
Kwaaaa─!!
The light that should have dispersed through the barrier converged on the dagger at the pole’s tip.
Pachang─!
The dagger shattered, unable to withstand the stellar energy.
But simultaneously, a massive blade of light burst from the tip.
“W-what…!!!”
The long flagpole now looked like the hilt of a sword—the light blade was enormous.
The entire expo hall was bathed in its brilliance, and everyone held their breath.
“Some say the judging criteria are clear: defense and durability are the main scoring points.”
“……”
Baozi was sweating profusely.
You heard right, dumpling guy.
“But defense alone won’t ensure survival. The only way to live is to defeat the boss and escape the rift.”
The blade of light faded.
Some regretted the brief spectacle ending.
Sehyeon drew another dagger.
“This weapon is weaker in durability than anything else here. It’s single-use, breaking upon activating its ability. But its attack is reliable. It will protect you through offense, not defense.”
No one could argue.
Attendees and judges alike could not object.
This year’s expo goal was clear: to survive unprecedented disasters like the emergency assembly.
So they emphasized defense and durability.
But Sehyeon’s point was vital.
Defense postpones problems; offense solves the cause.
The way to close the rift was to defeat the boss.
But a fundamental issue remained.
“Ha! If offense were the ultimate solution, why wouldn’t they do it? Because the boss is too strong!”
Baozi’s rough rebuttal was met by Sehyeon drawing the blade.
Soon, footsteps thumped as a white bear stepped onto the stage.
Behind it, Jia winked and gave a thumbs-up.
“This blade shapes light that should form a barrier into a sword. What happens when it strikes a monster?”
Whoosh──
Sehyeon swung the blade; it passed through the bear without the sensation of cutting.
Simultaneously, a shallow barrier wrapped the bear, completely restraining its movement.
As if time had stopped inside the barrier.
“If you strike the soul stone here, you can cut only that. If not, it gives enough time to escape—until the soul stone in the flag is fully depleted.”
Stellar energy consumption was minimal.
Planet-class targets could be restrained for at least an hour; even Minotaur-level creatures could be held for over ten minutes.
Unlike barriers designed for all-around defense, this one simply restricted movement.
Having explained this much, there was no room for further rebuttal.
Baozi’s mouth was firmly shut.
‘Tsk, the Great Wall was a pretty good item too.’
Sehyeon felt both relief and a twinge of regret.
A shield that amplified planetary defense by gathering individual stellar energy…
Such a principle was difficult to apply even in artifacts.
It was the ultimate achievement possible only with a ‘stellar-powered weapon.’
‘Instead of all this propaganda, they could have just promoted their own items better.’
But in the audience’s minds, the Great Wall no longer mattered.
Throughout the main demonstration, the focus had been on Taejong, like it or not.
They would leave remembering only the cathedral’s flag and the daggers.
“Your move, dumpling guy.”
