15 – 4 – Making It Together – 1

After he completed his race grade growth,

Although Gi-jun wanted to return to the ruins immediately to beat up the Lesser Demons if he could, both the Demon King and Lucy held him back, saying that they needed time to adapt to their new bodies.

Moreover, since a sort of growth bonus was applied immediately after a race evolution, making it easier for stats and skills to grow, it was much wiser to roll around against the Demon King, who was dozens of times tougher but whose training experience was hundreds of times more generous than the Lesser Demons.

Gi-jun forgot about the ruins for a while and focused on his training with the Demon King――.

A week passed like that after he became a Degraded Light Human.

—Boom!

—The level of the Uncommon-grade Dual Blunt Weapon Mastery skill has reached 99 and reached its limit.

—The level of the Uncommon-grade Dual Blunt Weapon Mastery skill has reached 99 and reached its limit.

The moment that message appeared before his eyes, Gi-jun dropped both shields, which had become warped and dented from blocking the Demon King’s attacks, onto the floor and muttered with a deeply emotional expression.

“A weapon mastery skill really can hit level 99 after all…”

“Level 99? Ah, Dual Blunt Weapon Mastery?”

“Yeah.”

No wonder Gi-jun’s parry just now had felt unusual.

The Demon King withdrew her fist, which was smoking from colliding with the shield Gi-jun had thrust with all his might, and smacked her lips.

“Congratulations, but what about Shield Mastery?”

“Not yet. Still, this grew incredibly fast, didn’t it?”

After all, even three months ago, Gi-jun’s Dual Blunt Weapon Mastery was Uncommon, but his Shield Mastery was stuck at the limit of Common.

Despite rapidly growing his Shield Mastery through constant shield cooking and the Demon King’s pinpoint tutoring, the level of his Shield Mastery was still only 92.

The real hurdle was bound to begin from here.

Even if Gi-jun had gotten the hang of Shield Mastery, and even if he only repeated one-on-one training with the Demon King, wouldn’t it take at least a few months?

Therefore, Gi-jun’s plan was to challenge the grade growth of Dual Blunt Weapon Mastery and then head straight into the ruins, but…

“Let’s focus only on Shield Mastery for the time being to pull up its level. I want to match the levels of the two skills somehow.”

The Demon King’s thoughts seemed to be a bit different.

Gi-jun, who was slowly getting to know the Demon King, asked, suspecting that this fellow might not have any deep thoughts behind it.

“If I may ask what your deep intention is, senior?”

“I want to do a combined evolution.”

The Demon King had a feverish look in her eyes like a middle school student who had not yet outgrown cartoons.

As Gi-jun and Lucy quietly stared at her, the Demon King flusteredly corrected her words.

“Sometimes, two compatible skills merge and grow into a single skill. Naturally, its uniqueness and potential are incomparable to normal skill growth.”

“So you are telling me to hit level 99 in Shield Mastery as well and induce a combined evolution?”

“That’s right. Then Dual Shield Mastery will definitely come out!”

Up to ‘combined evolution’, the nuance was definitely quite nice, but her knack for bringing it crashing down with ‘Dual Shield Mastery’ was truly a work of art.

To the Demon King whose eyes shone with conviction, Gi-jun asked just in case.

“Is there anyone who has already learned that skill?”

“Absolutely not!”

The Demon King confidently shook her head.

Gi-jun thought that he wouldn’t mind throwing away everything he had if only he could land at least one clean hit on the Demon King.

“But if it is you, you can harmonize them. I am the proof. You achieved a harmony of offense and defense while holding two shields against me.”

“It is only because you went easy on me.”

“What do you take me for? I reduced my strength, but other than that, I didn’t particularly go easy on you. It is just that you became skilled at transitioning between offense and defense through the shields.”

One of the Demon King’s traits was that when she praised, she neither exaggerated nor downplayed it, but calmly conveyed his strengths.

As such, the sincerity contained in it touched him, making him feel embarrassed for no reason.

“I get it, I get it. So I just need to hold shields…?”

“Yes. Wield shields in both hands as usual, but from now on, do not counterattack; instead, focus thoroughly on blocking and deflecting my attacks. You can do it, right?”

“I have to.”

“Good, excellent.”

As the Demon King smiled broadly and waved her hand in the air, the shields that had been rolling on the floor, warped and dented, were restored to their original state and flew up.

Deftly catching them and equipping them on both hands, Gi-jun faced the Demon King, held the shields in both hands at an angle, and thought about how he would look to others—a thought he had had hundreds of times over the past few months.

For a moment, what flashed before his eyes was the image of a cool shield knight holding giant shields in both hands, guarding the front line of the party.

The next moment, what came to mind was the image of a dual blunt weapon warrior who had boldly discarded the option of a shield and was rampaging splendidly with morning stars in both hands!

‘…But right now, I am standing with two shields.’

Was his choice really wrong after all?

Was it right to try and achieve a combined evolution with this now?

“Cast aside your doubts.”

The Demon King said.

“I am telling you to harmonize what you are good at with what you chose!”

“…Yeah.”

Having cleared all the images from his head, Gi-jun nodded heavily.

“Clinging to a path I have already abandoned would be foolish. You are right, Demon King. From this moment on, I will commit myself fully to this Dual Shield Mastery.”

“That is the spirit!”

In truth, he had been giving it his all until now, but he could not deny that doubts about whether this was right had lingered in a corner of his mind.

However, with the skill’s grade growth just ahead, having such a lukewarm attitude would only lead to half-baked results.

Gi-jun perfectly controlled his mind.

Dual Shield Mastery was strong.

It was a special skill.

This skill would become the one that symbolized him!

“Come, Demon King!”

—The Contractor’s self-brainwashing is intense. So far, it seems to have manifested in a negative way, but if it is channeled in a positive direction…

Lucy muttered, extending her light to envelop his shields.

—No, but it is still a bit strange, right?

“Spirit, just eat your brown sugar!”

The Demon King kicked off the floor, closing the distance as rapidly as if folding space, and thrust her fist forward.

Against the powerful blow, he first thrust his left shield at an angle to disrupt the center of the attack, then completely blocked it with his right shield.

Without backing down against the ensuing kick, he cleverly adjusted the positions of his shields to cope, all the while recalling the subtle principles of Shield Mastery that the Demon King had taught him and made him learn with his body.

It was certain that his options for blocking had increased compared to when he held only a single large shield.

Thinking of the enemy’s attack as a single or multiple incoming balls, he created diagonal walls using his two shields――repeating light collisions as much as possible, eventually draining all the kinetic energy within the ball.

Once that image was formed, his movements began to grow noticeably fluid, even though there was no significant change in his speed or strength.

‘It would be better if I could even counterattack, but for now, let’s focus only on blocking.’

To think that the movements of the shields were already beginning to change just from a shift in his mindset.

The Demon King, who was ceaselessly raining fists down on him, nodded as expected and thought.

The reason his talent in Shield Mastery had felt lacking was probably because he lacked conviction.

Because he had only held a shield to protect his party members, having no confidence that he possessed any talent in Shield Mastery.

He had shrunk back and hesitated more for no reason.

On the other hand, the reason his talent in blunt weapon techniques was revealed so quickly was probably because he had used it without feeling any expectation or responsibility from the start.

‘How on earth they could discourage a kid overflowing with talent like this, the civilization of Earth really is something else.’

He was a lump of natural talent that would stand out even if left alone.

How alienated he must have felt simply because he did not fit into the average standards of Earth.

Perhaps this world suited him much better than Earth did.

Suddenly having such a thought, the Demon King realized that this was crossing the line no matter how much she considered Gi-jun’s perspective, and she dismissed it with a bitter smile.

She focused her attention on Gi-jun in front of her once more and unleashed an attack at a level that he was just barely unable to block――.

And Gi-jun advanced a step while struggling to block it.

One step, and then another.

* * *

—The level of the Uncommon-grade Shield Mastery skill has reached 99 and reached its limit.

—The level of the Uncommon-grade Shield Mastery skill has reached 99 and reached its limit.

Gi-jun, who reached the maximum level of Shield Mastery in just two weeks instead of a few months, was slightly flustered.

“No, counting from the moment I was left behind, it has only been four months now…?”

“That is your talent. Accept it.”

“Such honest praise is embarrassing! …No, you told me that a blunt weapon suited me better than a shield.”

Gi-jun replied, slightly irritated by the Demon King’s benevolent smile which suggested she had expected this, but of course it was a fight he could not win from the start.

“That is why I made you use the shield as a blunt weapon. What do you get when you combine what you are good at with what you are even better at?”

“That would be my awesome Dual Shield Mastery. Even Copernicus, the great Polish astronomer, would have acknowledged it.”

“Good, perfect.”

And by now, Gi-jun had no intention of winning either.

To be precise, it could be called a joint victory for the two of them.

Only Lucy, the sole normal one, trembled her wings as she watched Gi-jun, who did not harbor a single shred of doubt about himself.

—Your self-brainwashing is already complete, Contractor…

“Then let’s combine and evolve the two skills right now!”

“How?”

Indeed. How.

It was a thought he had been having since the moment he first heard the term combined evolution.

He thought that some grit-based theory of just throwing his body at it might pop up this time as well, but unexpectedly, the Demon King explained with a serious expression.

“To induce a combination of skills, it is first important that you clearly recognize each individual skill.”

“Clearly recognizing the skills, huh.”

When he first held a shield, Shield Mastery was created.

Similarly, when he first picked up a blunt weapon, Blunt Weapon Mastery was created.

At the point when he began to treat shields as blunt weapons, Blunt Weapon Mastery evolved into Dual Blunt Weapon Mastery.

Gi-jun closed his eyes and tried to recall his two skills.

Even though he did not know what the Demon King wanted, it was not difficult to clearly recall those two skills.

“Next, imagine the two harmonizing into one.”

“Hmm… aren’t I already doing that?”

“Is what you envisioned definitely the harmony of Shield Mastery and Dual Blunt Weapon Mastery?”

“Yes.”

Nodding leisurely, Gi-jun added a word.

“I am certain.”

“Good. Then it won’t take long. Come at me.”

Gi-jun rushed toward the Demon King with shields in both hands.

He deflected the Demon King’s palm that thrust out in a surprise attack, and shoved hard with his shield.

The Demon King was not about to make it easy; she spun her body to avoid it and threw a roundhouse kick as sharp as an awl.

The two shields in Gi-jun’s hands flew simultaneously.

He blocked her foot with timing that bordered on divine skill, and the shield he thrust forward in the moment her strength faded right after struck her knee with a chilling roar.

Crunch!

“Very excellent.”

“Will it bruise?” the Demon King muttered, recovering her foot and standing in place.

Should he be disappointed that his full-power counterattack only left a bruise on the Demon King, or should he be satisfied that he had delivered a meaningful blow to the Demon King, who had felt like an unapproachable giant?

Neither.

Gi-jun did not stop and charged again.

“I do not dislike aggressive men!”

As if it was the right answer, a deep smile hung on the Demon King’s lips.

Had about five hours passed as the two traded blows fiercely?

At a point when another hour or two had passed after the levels of Steelization and Sleepless and Restless—skills he had no particular intention of training—had each risen by one,

—Through intense combat, you have established a new and powerful combat technique! [Shield Mastery] and [Dual Blunt Weapon Mastery] have transcended their limits and harmonized into one! You have obtained the Rare-grade skill [Twin Turtle Fangs]!

—Achievement unlocked! You have created a new skill that did not exist before. You have obtained the Rare-grade title [Skill Creator]. Due to the title’s effect, your ability increases by 10% when using skills you created yourself. When growing the grade of a skill you created, a positive correction is granted.

—You have obtained experience points from unlocking the achievement and reached Level 3! Strength (Uc) increased by 1, Dexterity (Uc) by 1, Endurance (Uc) by 1, Light Magic Power (Uc) by 2, and Spiritual Power (R) by 1.

—Through intense combat, you have established a new and powerful combat technique! [Shield Mastery] and [Dual Blunt Weapon Mastery] have transcended their limits and harmonized into one! You have obtained the Rare-grade skill [Twin Turtle Fangs]!

—Achievement unlocked! You have created a new skill that did not exist before. You have obtained the Rare-grade title [Skill Creator]. Due to the title’s effect, your ability increases by 10% when using skills you created yourself. When growing the grade of a skill you created, a positive correction is granted.

—You have obtained experience points from unlocking the achievement and reached Level 3! Strength (Uc) increased by 1, Dexterity (Uc) by 1, Endurance (Uc) by 1, Light Magic Power (Uc) by 2, and Spiritual Power (R) by 1.

Having achieved his goal, Gi-jun knelt on the floor with all his strength depleted.

Although his physical strength itself recovered due to the level up from the unexpected achievement, a sense of exhaustion entirely separate from that dominated his body.

Of course, a corresponding sense of accomplishment came with it.

‘Twin Turtle Fangs… The teeth of twin turtles, is it? I don’t know if turtles even have teeth, but I have heard that their bite force is incredible.’

At the very least, he felt that it was a much better skill name than the Dual Shield Mastery the Demon King had mentioned.

The Demon King hesitated upon seeing Gi-jun suddenly collapse to his knees on the floor in exhaustion, but seeing the satisfied smile on his lips, she smiled along with him.

“Congratulations on creating the skill.”

“We made it together. Thank you.”

“No matter what you say, flattery is never missing.”

And the Demon King was a woman who was easily swayed by such flattery.

Watching the two exchange smiles, Lucy—who had assisted Gi-jun with Light Spirit Arts throughout the spar—felt a bit left out but gave unsparing applause to her contractor who had achieved such a great feat.

“Then is it a party today?”

—That’s right, a party!

When the two looked at Gi-jun with sparkling eyes as if they had made a pact, Gi-jun slightly suspected what exactly they had been rejoicing and celebrating for――yet he meekly prepared the party.

From the next day, Gi-jun entered the ruins again and faced the Lesser Demons using his fully established skill, Twin Turtle Fangs.

It took exactly 39 minutes to kill one.

By the time three days had passed, it was reduced to 20 minutes again.

When a year had passed, he became able to defeat three Lesser Demons at the same time within 3 minutes.