Chapter 220
Chapter 220
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 220
Chapter Title: Chapter 5-2. Rest
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He couldn't even masturbate by slipping his hand under the blanket and gripping his throbbing erection. Letting out a long sigh, Judah felt like he could understand how Arhil must be feeling. It was agonizing. As he tossed and turned in bed, desperately trying to sleep, he suddenly remembered the antidote named [Sage Time] that he'd obtained while rescuing the elf in Urun.
It was definitely stored in his <Bag>, and he seriously debated pulling it out and taking it. But he didn't want to resolve his lust in such a way. Sage Time—what a name. He wanted to experience that kind of feeling only after he was old and could leisurely savor it. Groaning and writhing for a long while, he finally fell asleep.
When he woke up in the morning, he felt utterly exhausted.
It didn't feel like he'd actually slept. Sensing that lying there longer would only make him feel more stuffy and uncomfortable, Judah sighed and dragged himself out of bed.
"Good morning..."
As he opened the door and stepped out, his eyes met Arhil's. She was just about to head down the stairs. Her face looked as unrested as his own, and she greeted him with a weary expression. The memory of her moans from the night before made his face flush hot. Nodding, Judah followed her down to the first floor.
He usually enjoyed cooking his own meals, but this morning, he had no appetite for chopping or baking anything. Too much hassle. Deciding to just make do with sandwiches, he pulled out some he'd bought previously from his <Bag> and shared them with her.
"You look tired."
Arhil commented as she took a bite of her sandwich. He gave a wry smile and swallowed the mouthful he was chewing.
"I must've slept poorly. But it seems I'm not the only one who looks beat. You okay?"
"I-I couldn't sleep either."
Arhil stuttered unnecessarily, her face turning red. Judah didn't press further.
"You're going again today? Wouldn't it be better to rest?"
"...No. There are still so many patients."
"Hmm."
"It's fine. Don't worry. Do you think Gabriel gave me this power for no reason? She gave it to me to use in times like this."
Still, he worried that treating patients might make her catch some illness herself. She'd be using holy magic all day again today. He wondered if he should trick her into taking the Sage Time antidote by calling it a tonic.
"Even so, don't push yourself too hard. Oh, and you'll have to head to the hall alone today."
"Where are you going?"
"We've been helping the elves this whole time, so now it's time to collect our reward."
He'd rescued elves who had no connections in Urun, gone through all sorts of hardships to bring them here, and even participated in the war for them—not to mention summoning Bell-Terza. Now it was time for payment.
Arhil nodded as if she understood. Though he'd finished his sandwich long before her, he waited so they could leave the house together. Watching her small mouth work hard to chew was amusing in its own way.
"Stop staring and go wash up first. I'll handle the dishes."
Amid her various complaints about poor digestion and such, Judah chuckled and nodded. He got up first, headed to the bathroom to wash, and waited for her. Surprisingly, she didn't take long to clean herself.
His clothes made from Requiem and Black Wolf hides weren't in tatters, but it was embarrassing to wear outfits with holes or tears when perfectly fine ones were available. Since they had codes assigned, they'd recover on their own over time, so he changed into a suit and stepped outside.
There were no thugs in the city where the elves lived, and no elf would harbor ill will toward the now-famous Arhil who was treating patients. He didn't need to escort her, but since their paths overlapped, they went together until he branched off alone.
Roengrim, located beneath the World Tree where the evacuated elves had returned, was starting to bustle with life again. Passing through the wide-open gates and heading outside, he saw many elves loading human corpses onto wagons.
Just like after a plague had swept through, countless humans lay collapsed on the ground. He wondered when they'd clear all those bodies. Maybe it would be better to burn them before they rotted?
'Ah, it's winter, so maybe they won't rot.'
They'd figure it out without him saying anything, so no need to interfere.
"Where are you headed?"
An elf who recognized Judah approached. She was drenched in sweat from hauling corpses just moments ago. Despite her exhaustion, she forced a smile, and he told her he was off to find a fragment.
"Ah, I see. But going that way will be tough. As you can see..."
The elf gave an awkward smile and glanced back. The walls guarding the D-shaped uphill path were pocked with craters from catapult stones and scars from ballista bolts. The path down was littered with countless human corpses, sprawled as if swept away by a plague—grotesque, as if they might lurch up and charge at any moment.
"Hmm. If you can manage to descend the cliff, it'd be much easier to go through the eastern forest. Or should I call a mage for you? Lady Via said to provide you with every convenience if you came here."
"No, thank you for the advice. I'll head to the eastern forest then."
Grateful for the kind elf's words, Judah bowed and made for the eastern gate. He could jump from the walls unscathed, so a cliff of that height was nothing. He headed to the spot where he'd summoned Bell-Terza.
Naturally, human corpses were easy to spot here too. Feeling once more just how vast a number two hundred thousand was, Judah stood atop the cliff. Cold wind blew up from the sheer drop below, and far off, the fragment [Lüsen Ardahan] sat slumped.
"Hmm."
A steep hill would have been one thing, but this was a literal sheer cliff jutting inward. He wouldn't die from jumping, right? After reinforcing his body with mana and a brief hesitation, he leaped.
Rough winds buffeted him from below, disorienting his sense of direction. But it wasn't as dangerous as his tension made it seem. He landed on a protruding ledge of earth, cushioning the impact, then jumped again.
"Whew."
Only when his feet hit solid ground could he exhale. He wasn't sure how many seconds it took, but it had been a sweaty ordeal. Looking around, he saw corpses of knights, soldiers, and horses scattered about—some with arrows embedded, likely fallen while climbing the cliff. Passing through the eerie atmosphere, he approached where Lüsen Ardahan knelt amid the masses of bodies.
Kneeling before countless corpses, Lüsen Ardahan resembled an unyielding rock.
Its back looked relatively intact, but up close from the front, it was covered in scorch marks and gashes from sharp, massive claws. One left arm lay severed, rolling on the ground.
Wooong!
As he drew near Lüsen Ardahan, Carpediem—the final fragment of Perlnern on his finger—began to resonate. Then, light seeped from the six dim eyes of the previously motionless golem, and its drooping head lifted to gaze at Judah.
Recognizing him perhaps, light emanated from Lüsen Ardahan's six extinguished eyes.
[Will you acquire the Eighth Fragment, Lüsen Ardahan?]
[If acquired, command rights over Lüsen Ardahan will transfer from temporary owner <Via> to [Judah Arsher], severing mana supply linked to the World Tree. You will no longer be able to summon 24 entities of <Akan>.]
[Yes / No]
He had chosen No before, but now there was no need, so he selected Yes.
Keeeing!
An indescribably horrific noise rang out, and a rift tore open in the air behind Lüsen Ardahan like a lightning strike. The golem rose, backing into the tear as if shoving its body through. The severed arm on the ground dissolved into particles and was sucked in. The rift that had swallowed Lüsen Ardahan sealed shut cleanly, vanishing as if nothing had happened.
[Eighth Fragment - Guardian, Lüsen Ardahan acquired.]
[Save count reset. Auto-saving at current point.]
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[Name: Eighth Fragment - Lüsen Ardahan]
[Rank: Legend]
[Summon: Golem]
[Description]
The eighth piece among Perlnern's heart fragments. A golem born from the desire for a loyal, absolutely unbetraying sentinel. It self-repairs when broken and possesses autonomous judgment, enabling efficient action in various special situations.
'Grooooaaar!' - Felling a giant beast that dared enter Perlnern's domain.
-Black Knight, Akan Summon (Active): Summons 24 subordinates.
-Subspace (Active): Lüsen Ardahan is stored in subspace.
└Form Memory (Passive): Even if parts of its body are destroyed, it returns to original form given sufficient time.
└Absolute Summon (Passive): Can be summoned at any place, any time.
-Gechang Lukete (Active): Unusable
-Gechang Memento Mori (Active): Unusable
-Screaming Earth (Active): Unusable
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-Sentinel (Passive): As a being made to protect, gains bonuses to various stats during defense.
-Autonomous Judgment (Passive): Even without orders, makes decisions and acts independently in special situations or variables.
-Eighth of Perlnern's Twenty-Four Hearts (Passive): The power of the eighth heart among the twenty-four is "Guardianship."
-Inheritance (Passive): Collect all 24 artifacts made from Perlnern's heart to inherit Demon King Perlnern's power.
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[Five fragments collected.]
[Lüsen Ardahan was originally a golem made to guard Perlnern's Sky Island.]
[However, due to Perlnern's greed, this golem—infused with countless spells and techniques—cannot function properly with just one fragment from the lord's heart.]
[It consumes an absurd amount of mana, requiring dedicated armaments [Gechang Lukete] and [Gechang Memento Mori]—two additional fragments—to perform at full capacity.]
[Acquiring each corresponding fragment will dramatically enhance Lüsen Ardahan's functions and unlock some sealed skills.]