Mason’s Revenge

Chapter 16: Powerful Aura

Mason’s powerful aura overwhelmed the dagger, forcing it to submit as it screeched in pain.

"You filthy human!" the magic item’s voice hissed, echoing in Mason’s mind, a sound only he could hear.

But the defiance didn’t last long. Within moments, the dagger’s resistance crumbled, and the once menacing red aura around it disappeared. The blade, which had been raging with fury, now fell into an eerie silence.

*It’s done.*

Information from his spy system flashed before him, revealing details about the subdued magic item.

"Ebon Steed’s Basicd Dagger (C-Grade: Common-Grade-Limited )"

- Remaining s (862/1000)

Mason chuckled to himself. A mere C-Grade magic item had dared to resist him.

*So, this is one of Ebon Steed’s weaker versions.*

Ebon Steed wasn’t just a single blade, but a line of magic items, ranging from lower-tier C-Grades to the legendary A-Grades. This one, being a C-Grade, was clearly a lesser magic item compared to the one that had created this Crypt.

Narrowing his eyes, Mason realized, *I need to dig deeper to find the main magic item behind all this.*

Suddenly, a high-pitched scream shattered the tense atmosphere.

“Kyaaaa!”

The female student who had been under the dagger’s control snapped back to reality, but there was a new issue. The rope that had restrained her seemed to have developed a mind of its own, coiling around her even more tightly.

“P-Please help me! The rope—!” she cried out, shaking in fear as the rope writhed, as though it had transformed into a snake tightening around her body. The shifting rope began to look more suspicious with each passing second.

Mason clicked his tongue in irritation.

*It’s way too excited.*

magic items had a tendency to ca problems the moment you let your guard down.

“Return!” he commanded.

The rope responded immediately, glowing as it obediently retracted from the girl, shrinking back and wrapping itself around Mason’s wrist. Its form calmed, and as the light faded, the once ragged rope transformed into a stylish copper-colored braided bracelet.

The bystanders gaped in disbelief. They had just witnessed a rope morph into a bracelet in the blink of an eye.

The female student, still bewildered by everything that had happened, stammered, “...W-What just happened?”

Mason smiled at her confusion.

He had d his aura to reshape the magic item, camouflaging it into something more modern. It was a trick he had employed before, disguising magic items like the gold and silver axes.

Of course, manipulating magic items in this way wasn’t a simple feat. He knew magic items harbored some pride in their original forms and likely resented being forced to take on such mundane shapes.

*I wonder if they hate me for this or if they’re just humiliated by having to submit.*

Most magic items would consume any master who didn’t possess enough aura to command them into disguising themselves like this.

Mason continued walking, a grin spreading across his face.

“I must really be a genius! Hahaha!”

Meanwhile, Yuri was laughing maniacally as he reached the chamber where Ebon Steed was supposed to be hidden. The Crypt was dark and cave-like, its floor scattered with broken weapons.

Yuri had tricked the civilians into this Crypt, hoping to find Ebon Steed and eliminate all witnesses afterward.

‘If they all die in here, it’ll be the perfect crime!’

For Yuri, the mission was clear: whatever it took, Japan had to come out on top.

‘With Sho-tah-Kow’s Future Diary, Japan can rise to power again!’

In Yuri’s mind, neither the United States nor China mattered. Japan, once the “Land of the Rising Sun,” had been crumbling under the weight of natural disasters and economic crises. magic items like Ebon Steed were his country’s chance to return to greatness.

Having grown up on stories of Japan’s legendary heroes, Yuri believed his actions would mark the start of a new era for the nation. And so, he was determined to find Ebon Steed, no matter the cost.

“Where is that damn sword?!” Yuri snarled, tossing aside broken weapons in frustration.

“Damn that thug! He better not have lied to me!”

Following the prophecy, Yuri had ventured into the fourth chamber after navigating through the traps. The seer had promised him Ebon Steed would be there.

But no matter how thoroughly he searched, the sword remained hidden.

Suddenly, his frantic search was interrupted by a loud shout.

“You bastard! We’ve got you now!”

Yuri spun around, eyes wide with shock, as a group of enraged civilians stormed into the chamber.

“W-What the hell? You!” he sputtered.

“You tricked korea, you scoundrel! You tried to kill korea!” one of the civilians yelled as they advanced on him, eyes burning with vengeance.

Yuri stumbled backward, realizing that these were the very people he had lured into a trap.

*How did they escape?!*

The civilians had managed to free themselves with Mason’s help, and now they had Yuri in their sights. It wasn’t clear if Mason had orchestrated their retaliation or if they had acted on their own, but they had Yuri cornered.

“We’re going to expose you to the world for this, and you’ll pay!” someone shouted.

Yuri, though trained as a soldier, was no match for the furious crowd without a weapon. “Damn it!” he cursed under his breath, his frustration growing.

“How did you escape the trap?! That’s impossible without an magic item!”

At that moment...

“How else would they have gotten out?”

Yuri gasped, turning at the sound of a familiar voice. The shock of seeing Mason sitting atop a pile of swords made his eyes widen.

“You!”

Mason grinned, waving the magic items he had taken from Yuri.

“Thanks for these, Japan Army Major Yusuke.”

One was the rice cake, the other the rope. The sight made Yuri almost choke with rage. The fact that Mason knew his name was irrelevant.

*That bastard actually stole them!*

“Hey! Put those down right now!”

“Why should I?”

Yuri glared at Mason, his frustration boiling over.

*That scoundrel.*

With the situation deteriorating, he had only one option left.

“You wait until I find Ebon Steed! You’ll be the first to face my wrath!”

He was determined to locate Ebon Steed somewhere in the room. Though he didn’t know where it was, if he found it—

Suddenly, Mason burst into laughter at Yuri’s threat, causing a wave of anxiety to wash over him.

“What’s so funny?!”

Mason’s laughter echoed ominously in the chamber.

“What, are you telling me you still haven’t found it even with a seer guiding you? It was right in front of you the whole time?”

“W-What?”

Yuri was stunned. Mason’s confident demeanor suggested he had already discovered it.

And he claimed it was right in front of him?

*Unbelievable!*

“Ebon Steed isn’t here!”

The prophecy stated that Ebon Steed was a elderly with a pristine blade. Yet, all Yuri saw were broken blades scattered across the chamber. The only intact weapons were spears, daggers, or podaos.

Mason approached Yuri with a smile, as if he were a teacher explaining a lesson to a student.

“Hey, idiot, it’s right here.”

He picked up an old sword that looked far from impressive. The blade was chipped, and the remaining portion was so dull it couldn’t even cut through a tree.

Yuri couldn’t help but feel disbelief. This Ebon Steed looked nothing like the flawless elderly he had anticipated.

“Ho. You’re saying that’s Ebon Steed?”

“Yes, you moron.”

Mason channeled his aura into the sword. The elderly, which had masqueraded as a broken blade, began to emanate a dark aura.

"You somehow managed to find me, you foolish human!"

The sword’s voice blared as if it had been holding back its fury all along.

"Human who seeks power! Fill me with the blood of ten people if you wish to leave. My physical form can only be restored by drinking human blood!"

The crowd shuddered at the chilling proclamation. They were bewildered by the situation and the weapon’s ominous demands.

“What is that thing saying?!”

All they could comprehend was the terrifying notion that ten people would perish. Fear gripped them as they realized their lives were at stake in this unknown scenario.

The test for this magic item was straightforward: slaughter.

This magic item’s horrific desire was to rejuvenate itself, to restore its blade with human blood. That was why it had lured so many into the Crypt in the first place.

But this wasn’t just the case for Ebon Steed; most Japanese blades had similar tests to obtain their power.

They required rs to kill or demonstrate the mindset of a true expert.

Most famous weapons had gained their notoriety through bloodshed, their essence steeped in violence.

*This is why I don't favor blade-type magic items very much.*

He had planned to sell Ebon Steed after the Great Crypt Appearance; there were buyers willing to pay handsomely for the sword’s true abilities.

Ebon Steed seemed increasingly annoyed with Mason’s refusal to kill, pressing him on.

"Hey human, hurry up and eliminate the others! Don’t you want to take me? What are you... "

“Will you shut the hell up, you stupid blade?”