Yeon-woo spread out his right hand and pulled out the Blue Spirit. “This was once bound to the Abyss Turtle. As you can see, it doesn’t have an identity yet, so it’ll be easy to enter it. Also,” Yeon-woo spread out his left hand, and two souls appeared, one black and one white, “I’ll give you these. It’s not perfect, but you can get some of your holy power back.”

Rebecca’s eyes widened to see the souls of Hepburn and Sol Luna: a High Elf Superior species and a nearly pure-blooded vampire. If she absorbed both souls at the same time, she would be able to regain her lost level quickly.

Shanon complained that it was a waste, but Hanryeong poked him in the side and told him to be quiet. Actually, the two were plenty satisfied with the swords from Henova.

「Fine, I’ll take them. What do I have to do?」 Rebecca nodded firmly.

Yeon-woo smiled and moved the Blue Spirit towards her. “Just swallow it. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Rebecca looked doubtful, but she swallowed the Blue Spirit since there wasn’t really anything he could do to her, considering that she was already dead. In an instant, Rebecca’s vestige scattered and turned into blue waves. The magic circle that Boo had set up began to activate. It wasn’t difficult at all to combine Rebecca and the Blue Spirit, since Rebecca’s information simply entered the Blue Spirit.

[Infusing the Blue Spirit with a vestige has been successful. The identity is being formed and turned into a lower-level Blue Spirit.]

[The lower-level Blue Spirit has pledged allegiance to you. From now on, she will be bound to the spirit and be your sword and shield.]

[Would you like to choose a name for the lower-level Blue Spirit?]

“Rebecca.”

[The lower-level Blue Spirit’s name has been set to ‘Rebecca’.]

[Loyalty has increased by 15 points.]

[Control has increased by 5 points.]

[The current body is unable to handle the vestige of Rebecca (Lower-Level Blue Spirit), and stats are being reassigned.]

....

As Rebecca was reborn with transparent blue patterns, she examined herself. She realized that her level was about to drop further, so she quickly held her hand out for the souls of Hepburn and Sol Luna. She swallowed them immediately.

[Rebecca (Lower-Level Blue Spirit) has taken over the soul of Hepburn (Urd’s Disciple).]

[Stats are being reassigned.]

[Rebecca has evolved to a mid-level spirit.]

....

[Rebecca (Mid-Level Blue Spirit) has absorbed the soul of Sol Luna (Vampire).]

[Her level has increased.]

[Stats are being reassigned.]

[Rebecca has evolved to a high-level spirit.]

Rebecca’s features grew even clearer until her appearance didn’t fall short of a Death Knight’s.

[You have succeeded in binding the extracted vestige. You have taken another step in controlling death. An additional reward is being provided.]

[Spirit of the Abyss]

[Rank: A-]

[Proficiency: 2.1%]

[Description: This is the rarest type of magic among all spirit magic. Several skills must be learned in order to fully understand it. The higher the proficiency, the higher the power of the spirit.]

Yeon-woo could read some of Rebecca’s thoughts through their connection, and he finally saw her regrets—the ones that made her decide to continue living. He had to help her resolve them in order to uphold his side of the bargain..

[Urd is furious.]

[Cernunnos looks at you with an expression of futility.]

[Urd says something to Cernunnos. Cernunnos refuses.]

[Cernunnos looks at you with a strange gaze. He decides not to speak up about this incident.]

[The demons are discussing you after one of the demons brings you up.]

‘Is it because of my accomplishments?’ The gods and demons couldn’t interfere with the lower floors, and they had to use messages if they wanted to communicate. If they wanted something done, they had to do it within their holy territory or borrow the strength of their Apostles.

However, even the Apostles had limits. Although Urd hated Yeon-woo, she couldn’t do anything about his past. It was also impossible to do anything to a player’s accomplishments. As Yeon-woo built up his accomplishments with the Black Bracelet, he received protection from the system.

Cernunnos knew this, which was probably why he didn’t act. However, he could put a curse on Yeon-woo, but he refrained. And the opposition that Yeon-woo had been expecting turned out to not be so bad after all.

‘Because even if Rebecca is just a vestige, she’s still his Apostle.’ Apostles weren’t simply a god’s subordinates. They were their agents and their avatars. Since Cernunnos would obviously have a great interest in his Apostle, he seemed to want to continue observing the situation.

Meanwhile, Rebecca was still examining her half-transparent body as though she couldn’t get used to it. Yeon-woo silently watched her and thought of the other messages. The attention of one of the demons had been on him for a while, and he wondered what the demons were discussing about him. Although he didn’t want to care about it, it still lingered in his mind.

***

The first thing Rebecca attempted was materialization since she wanted a physical body, but the proficiency of the spirit magic was too low. 「Oh well. I hope you can raise the skill proficiency quickly.」

“Don’t worry. Just summoning you like this already raises the proficiency. And I’ll study spirit magic when I can.” Yeon-woo no longer spoke formally to her since she was his subordinate now, but Rebecca didn’t seem to care. She believed that sincerity was more important than superficial manners.

There was also another bonus: holy power was beginning to grow in Rebecca’s body once more. Cernunnos hadn’t taken it back. Although it was a miniscule amount compared to what Rebecca had possessed when she was alive, Yeon-woo was still grateful. It meant that Cernunnos would lend his power any time.

When everything was finished, Yeon-woo returned to the smithy to help Henova again. Henova was surprised to see Rebecca following Yeon-woo, but he ignored her after realizing she was a spirit. He knew that things would get annoying if he kept wondering what Yeon-woo was up to.

Also, Rebecca was pretty helpful. Since hunters were used to solo play, she could fix weapons and had some knowledge of blacksmithing. Also, she could bless items with her holy power. As well, Yeon-woo lit Holy Fire with Henova’s permission so that he could blend his will into the items.

A full moon cycle passed.

[The artifact ‘Henova’s Magic Armor Helmet’ has been completed.]

[The artifact ‘Henova’s Magic Armor Boots’ has been completed.]

[The artifact ‘Henova’s Magic Armor Manacles’ has been completed.]

....

[The Magic Armor Set has been created.]

[You have been a great help to Henova. Your blood, sweat, and tears have combined with the armor.]

[Comprehension of the Magic Armor Set has deepened. +20]

[You have gained knowledge of blacksmithing. A section of the sealed Dragon’s Knowledge has been released.]

[‘Draconic Eyes’ skill proficiency has increased. 65.2%]

[Begin your own blacksmithing after learning more.]

Wearing the white mask temporarily, Yeon-woo looked at the new Magic Armor. Some of the items were things that had been repaired, others were brand new. He reached out to touch them, but Henova tapped his hand with his pile. “Nuh-uh. Not yet.”

“Why not?”

“What do you mean by that? You’re going too fast.”

Yeon-woo’s eyes widened. “It’s not done, yet?”

Henova bit his pipe and grinned. “Wait a moment.”

Yeon-woo looked at Henova in confusion. Then, Henova pulled out a glass bottle that was about the size of his hand. It contained a red liquid that sparkled like a ruby. Yeon-woo’s expression changed, and his eyelids trembled.

“Heehee. Looks like you recognize it. Good to see you’re not blind. Well, I suppose it’s no surprise you’d know what this is if you bothered me like that to teach you blacksmithing.”

“Is that really Hell’s Tears?”

“Yeah. I got it a long time ago. I’ve been wondering when to use it. I haven’t had anything special to use it on, but now I’ve got your items. I’ll consider the points you’ve given me as your payment for it.”

Yeon-woo couldn’t reply. Hell’s Tears came from Princess Hell of the Giant species, which had gone extinct even before the Draconic species did. Hell was powerful enough to be called the mother of the Underworld. She had enmity with several demons, and even gods were wary of her. Her tears were rumored to be the fires that burned in hell, and apart from godly materials, they were the most highly ranked items.

“I got it out because I saw that your properties had mostly dark and fire properties. And with this…” Henova spoke confidently, as though he were persuading Yeon-woo.

Yeon-woo’s shock didn’t fade even as Henova explained. He knew that Hell’s Tears wer incredible materials, but it was something else about them that was important to him. ‘Why does he still…’

Hell’s Tears were his brother’s gift to Henova.

One of the things that surprised me when I entered the Tower was that they didn’t celebrate birthdays. Although they remembered their birth dates, it was just another day to them. I thought it was kind of sad since it’s a day that only comes once a year. It made me think that the Tower was a really cold place.

I didn’t like that, and I wanted to celebrate the team’s birthdays, at least. Hm, I’m pretty sure it’s Henova’s birthday soon. I wonder what he’d like? Hehe. Mom always said I’m a better present than my brother, who never listens to her.

After a lot of consideration, Jeong-woo had decided to give Henova the Hell’s Tears that he had gotten after great difficulty. Since Henova was an artisan, he wanted to give him something that he could use. Henova had scolded his brother for getting him something impractical, but his brother saw the expression on Henova’s face when he turned around.

Yeon-woo thought that Henova would have already used Hell’s Tears by now, but it was still intact. The bottle didn’t even look like it had been opened. Henova had cherished it and hadn’t used it even once.

Before Yeon-woo could say anything, Henova opened the bottle. The contents turned into red smoke and flowed outside, whirling over the Magic Armor Set and settling inside. There was a sudden explosion and the armor combined together into a single breastplate, leaving only the Magic Bayonet and Magic Iron Sword separate.

“Hehe. Now you can check it out.” Henova puffed on his pipe, looking pleased with himself. Yeon-woo tried to not show his trembling eyes and put his hand on the armor.

[Congratulations! You have succeeded in completing a masterpiece with Henova. This masterpiece will be blessed by many gods and envied by many demons.]

[You have made an achievement that is not easily accomplished. Additional karma will be provided.]

[You have acquired 10,000 karma.]

[You have acquired an additional 15,000 karma.]

[As an additional reward, your understanding of blacksmithing has increased and you have gained ‘Considering Eyes.’]

[‘Considering Eyes’ and ‘Draconic Eyes’ have combined to increase the proficiency of ‘Draconic Eyes.’ 69.8%]

Yeon-woo checked the armor.

[Henova’s Magic Armor]

[Classification: ???]

[Rank: S~??? (Masterpiece)]

[Description: A masterpiece customized to its user. The addition of Hell’s Tears has given it even more potential. Once it’s worn, it can change form as the user wishes. It has an automatic repairing feature, so it can repair itself after damage. Its light weight aids fast movement.]

[*Hell’s Tears

The purification of Hell, the mother of the Underworld, affects dark, evil, and fire properties. Changes in the properties depend on the user’s proficiency.]

[*Draconic Eyes (Supporting)

It boosts the strength of the eyes of the great Draconic species.]

[*Extrasensory Perception (Supporting)

[The range…]

....

[** This is a unique artifact. No other artifact like this exists in the Tower, and it will be bound to its owner. It cannot be transferred or traded between players.

**The effect of the masterpiece adds bonus options to any new skills.

**The masterpiece clears your head when worn. Many gods and demons admire and envy this.]

Yeon-woo tightened his grip on the armor. He’d been expecting the main features since he’d requested them, but he’d never thought all his skills would be affected like this. The way it was specialized for fire and dark properties was evidence of the thought and care Henova had put into it.

“Try putting it on.”

Yeon-woo put the breastplate on his chest. He felt something stretch around his body like rubber, and he felt his body and the armor connect to each other. Armor was usually a bit uncomfortable and tough to move in, but when he twisted and turned, everything felt smooth and natural. He thought of the information window. As his options activated, his body warmed up as well.

“How do you like it?” Henova asked, satisfied.

“It’s comfortable,” Yeon-woo replied. He wanted to say it was like being in your parents’ embrace, but the words remained unsaid in his mouth.