I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 11

Facing the boar wasn’t too difficult.

True, it was strong enough to crumble rocks with a single charge thanks to its size, but as long as Se-Woon could avoid the charges, the creature was full of openings.

Of course, ordinary attacks wouldn’t easily penetrate its thick hide and muscles…

– Opened the Treasury of Greed.

[ Sharpness ]

– A spell developed by the Colorless Tower that consumes mana to maximize a weapon’s sharpness.

With mana enhancing the ‘Sword of the Forgotten Hero,’ which already had a 10% attack boost against monsters, even the thick hide couldn’t withstand Se-Woon’s blade.

In the end, the boar kneeled before Se-Woon, its heart pierced through.

– You have defeated the boss monster of boars, ‘Boar that Rips the Hill.’

– Individual merit points increased by 500 points.

– Acquired ‘Giant Boar’s Molar.’

“A molar…”

Unlike the ‘Gray Wolf Hide’ he wore like a cloak, this item was entirely a material item.

It seemed it couldn’t be used without processing.

“Well, I need to maintain my sword and hide anyway.”

Good equipment is just as important as enhancing your stats.

If he had sharpened his sword beforehand, dealing with the boar would’ve been much easier.

The Gray Wolf Hide was fine at first, but wearing it continuously made its coarse, unprocessed fur rub against his skin, which was quite bothersome.

Moreover, the loot wasn’t just limited to the molar.

“Was this what you were looking for?”

The name “Boar that Rips the Hill” wasn’t given for no reason.

There were numerous pits it had dug in the hill, and at the center of the nearest one, a rough-surfaced stone fragment jutted out.

[ Tool of the Forgotten Hero ]

Category: Material

Rank: D-

Description: A tool used by a long-forgotten hero to maintain his sword.

Ability: –

To anyone else, it might have just looked like an ordinary stone.

But as soon as he saw it, Se-Woon knew its purpose.

‘Could it be connected to the Sword of the Forgotten Hero?’

Thinking this, Se-Woon smiled slightly and tucked the tool away.

Immediately afterward, he reached out toward the fallen boar. He intended to use the power of Gluttony and then head back to camp.

However—

– Failed to consume the ‘Boar that Rips the Hill.’

“Huh?”

Unlike usual, no fangs appeared to devour the corpse, proving Beelzebub’s appetite.

This was a first, leaving Se-Woon puzzled.

He had expected Beelzebub to be eagerly waiting, much like when he hunted the ‘Gravekeeper Wolf’ in the Wolf Forest.

Thinking that it would be too wasteful to just leave the corpse behind, Se-Woon was relieved to hear Beelzebub’s reaction.

– The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ unable to forget the crisp monkey meat, demands a new order from you.

“Could it be…”

– The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ drools at the thought of a perfectly roasted boar.

– The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ declares that he won’t permit his power unless the meat is roasted.

When Se-Woon used the power of Gluttony on the fire ball-charred monkeys earlier, Beelzebub had an unusually strong reaction. It seemed his taste had become more refined.

‘Cooking it doesn’t seem to boost my stats any further.’

This was troublesome.

While roasting it once was manageable, if Beelzebub’s taste kept getting more sophisticated, he might demand all corpses to be roasted.

It seemed like it was time for some negotiation.

But for now—

Whoosh!

Sizzle—

– The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ wipes away his drool at the sight of oil dripping from the boar meat.

First, Se-Woon started cooking to meet Beelzebub’s demand.

Anyone else might wonder why he’s immediately complying with the request when he intends to negotiate, but a negotiation requires an enticing offer for the counterpart.

It didn’t take long for the golden-brown roasted boar barbecue to be ready, but Se-Woon didn’t use the power of Gluttony.

He simply stared at the cooling barbecue.

– The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ grows restless, fearing the meat will get cold!

Despite repeated urgings, Se-Woon remained unresponsive.

It wasn’t until Beelzebub’s desperation nearly turned into a cry that Se-Woon spoke up.

“I’ll cook for you once a day. No more than that.”

– The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ nods vigorously, begging for the meat.

“And no more excessive demands or frequent urgings. Also, no rejecting the same food claiming you’re tired of it.”

Se-Woon included all the grievances he had up to now in his proposal.

Normally, some of his demands would have been refused outright, but Beelzebub had already lost all rationality before the perfectly cooked barbecue.

Only after receiving agreement on all his terms did Se-Woon use the Power of Gluttony and offer the meat to Beelzebub.

– The ‘Boar that Rips the Hil’ has been devoured.

– Absorbing its nutrients increases Strength by 5, and Vitality by 5..

– The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ anxiously buries his face in the barbecue as soon as it arrives.

– The Constellation, ‘Bowed Raven,’ shakes his head, looking at the bent dining table.

The Demon God of Gluttony, Beelzebub, turned out to be easier to manage than expected.

* * *

“Hyung, you’re back!”

“Did anything happen?”

“Thanks to you burning those things to a crisp, it ended quickly! Everyone’s busy cleaning up the monkey corpses now.”

“Why aren’t you helping?”

“I’m your right-hand man, aren’t I? Waiting here to assist you whenever needed—”

“If you don’t want to burn along with the next wave of monsters, go help them. Twice as hard for slacking off.”

“…Yes!”

Park Jung-pil. As expected, he seemed eager to leverage Se-Woon’s power to establish himself as the camp’s second-in-command.

However, Se-Woon had no intention of letting that happen. Regardless of how fawning Park acted, Se-Woon knew better than anyone the kind of person he truly was.

Although he didn’t plan to bully Park Jung-pil just because of his memories from before the regression, he also had no intention of leaving him be.

‘They’re doing better than expected.’

Yoo Seo-ah’s leadership was commendable, but all the others were also moving with enthusiasm.

Compared to before the regression, the atmosphere was starkly different.

He had thought that for the proper vibe to set in, there would need to be more injuries or casualties to create a sense of urgency and that it would take at least a few more days.

Yet, people were moving better than Se-Woon had imagined.

‘That spot looks good.’

Finding a suitable place, Se-Woon settled there.

He laid out all the materials he had obtained so far, including the wolf hide he was wearing, the sword, and the boar’s molar.

‘Let’s start with the sword.’

Se-Woon picked up the ‘Tool of the Forgotten Hero’ he had obtained from hunting the boar.

Running his hand over it, he could feel its rough surface.

A tool used by the hero to maintain his sword. In other words, this stone was a ‘whetstone.’

– Opened the Treasury of Greed.

[ Black Rock Forge’s Beginner Guide ]

– A secret manual given to beginners at the Black Rock Tribe’s forge, known for its masterful dwarf craftsmen.

Shh, shhk—

Se-Woon began sharpening the ‘Sword of the Forgotten Hero.’

Although he had wiped off the blood and applied oil before, Se-Woon, who had been just an average player, had never actually used a whetstone. Yet, now he was sharpening the sword more steadily than anyone else could.

He stood up, stretched his arms, and moved his upper body lightly, utilizing the strength from his lower body.

As the rust around the sword began to flake off, revealing the shine underneath, Se-Woon felt a sense of satisfaction.

At that moment—

“Oh, quite impressive skills you’ve got there.”

A voice came from in front. Se-Woon frowned at the interruption and looked up, but the old man continued approaching without care.

“These days, everyone uses grinders, so there aren’t many blacksmiths who can sharpen a blade by hand. Your precision is remarkable.”

“You know how to use a whetstone?”

“Of course! I’ve lived off blacksmithing for decades.”

Was there such a person in the camp?

Se-Woon recalled his memories from before the regression, but there was no one who knew how to maintain weapons.

Perhaps—

‘He’s probably someone who perished before I could remember him.’

Before the regression, he might have been someone who fell to monsters before Se-Woon could take note of him.

“The condition of this whetstone is excellent. Where did you get such a high-quality stone in the wild?”

Most people in the camp were wary of Se-Woon, but the old man either wasn’t scared or was too absorbed in the sword to notice Se-Woon’s demeanor.

‘Shall I give it a try?’

Se-Woon saw no downside.

Though he was sharpening his sword now, he didn’t want to spend time continuously maintaining and modifying it himself.

Having someone in the camp who could manage equipment was a welcome opportunity. Proper blacksmiths wouldn’t be accessible until they entered the tower.

“If you don’t mind, could you take over?”

“Oh! Really? I’d be thrilled. I thought I’d never get to handle steel again in this place!”

Se-Woon stepped aside and handed the sword to the old man.

If he wasn’t satisfied, he planned to take over again, but observing the old man’s skill seemed like a good choice.

The old man took the sword and let out an exclamation of awe.

“This is a good sword. Old, worn, and rusted, but its balance is solid, and the blade isn’t too damaged.”

Judging by his words, he seemed to know a lot about swords.

The old man sat down in front of the whetstone as if it were his rightful place and started sharpening the sword without hesitation.

‘Certainly precise.’

He appeared bold, yet his actions were endlessly smooth and delicate.

He meticulously removed the rust first, then gently worked on each part of the blade. Even though he was just sharpening, the touch of a master was evident.

Looking through the lens of knowledge from the ‘Black Rock Forge’s Beginner Guide,’ there was nothing lacking in his skills.

After a short while,

The old man, having concentrated so thoroughly, wiped away the cold sweat and stood up.

“Phew! That was some focus after a long time. Here, give it a try.”

Se-Woon took the sword.

Swish, swish!

The moment he swung the sword a few times through the air, he noticed the difference immediately.

The sharpness had improved so much that the blade sliced through the air with a piercing whistle.

Somehow, even the balance had improved, making his movements much more precise than before.

[ Sword of the Forgotten Hero ]

Category: Longsword

Rank: D+

Description: A sword to honor a long-forgotten hero. Thanks to the touch of a master, it has regained its former sharpness.

Abilities:

1. Master’s Touch – Increases cutting efficiency by 20%.

2. Hero’s Legacy – Increases attack power against monsters by 15%.

Even the system acknowledged the man’s sharpening skills.

Replacing the previous ‘Metal Poison’ with ‘Master’s Touch,’ the ability to increase cutting efficiency by 20% was comparable to the Sharpness spell Se-Woon had used on the hill.

The second ability, ‘Hero’s Legacy,’ had also increased its effectiveness by 5%.

“This is good.”

“Isn’t it? Though a sword looks simple, it’s more sensitive than anything else. It feels great to work with steel after so long.”

“Then, could you also take care of this?”

“Oh, this hide is quite good. And this is… a molar? If crafted well, it could be very useful.”

Just like with the sword, the old man’s eyes sparkled as he held the hide and the molar.

Already engrossed, he started working on them without even answering.

For Se-Woon, it was a perfect situation; he wouldn’t lose any time and could expect better results.

At that moment—

– The Constellation, ‘Soldier with the Golden Crown,’ takes an interest in player ‘Go Chang-seok.’

Seeing the message above the old man’s head, Se-Woon’s eyes widened in surprise.