Chapter 356
Chapter 356
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 356
Chapter Title: The Fragment Retriever
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"Get a hold of yourself."
Splash. Holy water splashed onto Lime's face. Its effect was tremendous. Black smoke immediately poured out from his ears, mouth, and nose.
Only after a considerable amount of smoke had escaped did Lime's head droop forward. He wasn't dead, was he? She poked his shoulder to check.
"Krghaaack!"
At that moment, Lime sucked in a massive breath, his eyes snapping open as he jerked his head up. Startled by his intense reaction—complete with a choking gasp—Judah flinched and took a step back.
Lime hadn't done anything wrong, but irritation surged through her nonetheless. Still, she couldn't bring herself to snap at him as he panted raggedly, looking around in confusion, clearly not grasping the situation.
"Lime."
Lime silently turned his head. Focus had returned to his eyes. Then, suddenly, tears streamed down his face, and he broke into choked sobs—kkuhk, kkuhk—trying to stifle them by grinding his teeth, as if refusing to cry like a child. Caught off guard by the abrupt response, Judah examined him, wondering if she should splash him with more holy water.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
Lime shook his head and wiped away the tears streaming down with his sleeve. His sobs wouldn't stop as he wished, so he turned his back, steadily inhaling and exhaling to calm himself.
"…?"
She couldn't understand why he was crying. Had he been slamming into walls repeatedly, bruising himself? Or maybe the accumulated pain had hit him all at once upon regaining his senses? She pulled a potion from her <Bag> and offered it to him.
"Are you okay? Want to try drinking this?"
Lime glanced at what she held out, then shook his head and waved it off, signaling he was fine. After about ten or twenty seconds, he seemed to have settled, letting out a long sigh and blinking.
"I'm alright. I just had a terrible… nightmare."
"A nightmare?"
"Yes. It was horrific. Utterly horrific. It started with me dying in all sorts of ways. From the moment I met you, Judah, in the Magic Tower and got killed by you, to dying when the carriage flipped while we were traveling, to getting stabbed and torn apart by that holy knight in the underground labyrinth…"
Lime trailed off.
"Then suddenly, my wife and daughter appeared out of nowhere, getting violated by some unknown bastard before being ripped apart and devoured by monsters. My own deaths were bearable enough. But having to watch helplessly as my wife and daughter suffered that fate… I couldn't endure it. Each time they died, they'd scream my name, demanding why I just stood by and watched instead of helping."
Lime swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth.
"Strangely, I couldn't say a word in those moments. Looking back now, it was so full of holes that I can tell it was a dream… no, an illusion. I don't know why it felt so terrifying and real then."
He let out a self-deprecating chuckle. True to his status as an archmage, he quickly regained his composure, closing his eyes once before reopening them. He scanned the surroundings and sighed.
"Black Mist. Looks like that's what caused my nightmare. …Or maybe this is still a dream."
Lime gathered mana in his hand, as if ready to cast a spell at any moment. Was he about to attack? Judah let out a hollow laugh.
"Feels like a dream, huh? If you want, I can beat some sense into you to prove otherwise."
Perfect timing. She'd been startled multiple times on the way here, and her irritation was boiling over. She could give him just enough of a thrashing to snap him out of it—nothing lethal. As Judah happily raised her fist, Lime read the seriousness in her eyes and gave an awkward smile.
"Haha, I'm good. Just kidding. Kidding."
Watching him shift from tears to laughter, Judah figured he was okay now. She stared at him silently, checking his [Status Window] and the <Companion> system she'd all but forgotten about. Fortunately, despite the curse, simply dousing his face like a casual wash seemed to have purged it completely. Confirming Lime showed no anomalies, Judah left him briefly with Celine and Iris, then checked her .
Thankfully, a small plaza was nearby, so they headed there. A few cursed wanderers lingered, but this area had been mostly evacuated, so their numbers were fewer than expected. Like Lime, some stood frozen in place or shuffled endlessly toward walls. She used Fragment Luddmillan to shove them into corners or bound them to avoid unnecessary entanglements.
She incinerated a charging Black Silhouette, then ringed the plaza's center with flames. Her mana was too low to properly activate Requiem's skills, but she could force it into overdrive by channeling mana through Valentine. She hoisted Requiem high overhead.
"Go wild now. Just like always."
Unsure if the soulless fragment understood, Judah poured mana into Requiem anyway. The flickering flames roared upward like oil had been doused on them.
Fwoosh!
The more mana she fed it, the fiercer, brighter, and more dazzling the blaze grew. At the same time, faint mana flowed from Requiem, shielding her body.
Devour more. More.
As if responding to her thoughts, Requiem greedily absorbed the mana. It even pulled in ambient mana from the surroundings. The scorching heat from the sword warped the air, reddening and melting the ground.
Wooong!
Yet she didn't stop pouring in mana. Requiem soon began to rampage, emitting eerie mana with a savage hum. The sunset-hued flames shifted to white. Then, the gathered fire on the blade erupted skyward. The air screamed grotesquely as a pillar of flame shot up.
Kwaaaaa!
Its power exceeded expectations. Just before the pillar burst forth, the mana wave dispersed the thick Black Mist nearby. The soaring flames pierced the black-veiled sky, creating a spectacular sight as it burned away. A rare scene—one unlikely to be witnessed even in a lifetime.
As the Black Mist clouding the sky and vision vanished cleanly, a sunset sky emerged, warm fading sunlight pouring down. Absorbing the surrounding inferno and heat with Requiem, Judah tidied up—only to hear gloomy wails like zombies from a movie. Looking around, she saw black smoke pouring from the faces of those she'd bound or shoved aside in corners. The cries came from there.
Panting heavily, they shed tears like Lime, then gazed around in baffled confusion, unsure why they were there.
Drawn by the sunlight, people hiding indoors cautiously opened windows to gauge the streets. The bolder ones emerged from doors, faces etched with fear.
Seeing the plaza—heated and partially melted by Requiem's blaze—they'd surely murmur in awe. Judah stored Requiem in her <Bag> to leave, but it transformed into flames and vanished into the air, as if no longer needing her.
"……."
Staring at her empty palm, Judah rejoined the group and returned to the castle.
The castle seemed well-prepared—merely a bit chaotic, with no major issues.
Arhil welcomed Judah and the others, fretting over them. Worried about any ill effects from the Black Mist, she bestowed blessings one by one, like a holy bath. Her warm, comforting divine power soothingly caressed and seeped into their bodies. Yet even blessed, Lime wore a wry smile and sighed, his mental fatigue unrelieved.
"I'm exhausted."
"Go rest in your room. I'll call if there's dinner or something else later."
He nodded. The group dispersed to their rooms. Celine said nothing, simply bowing her head to Judah before entering hers—of course, leaving the door wide open.
Judah reclaimed the authority of Fragment Artemisia, which she'd <Lent> to Celine, then visited Iris briefly.
Iris, midway through washing up and down to her undergarments, opened the door.
"…?"
Tilting her head questioningly, she watched as Judah retrieved the gift box and wooden dagger case from her <Bag> and returned them. Remembering the dagger Iris had given her, Judah expressed her thanks.
"I haven't checked the dagger yet, but I'll make good use of it. Thanks."
Iris smiled sweetly at Judah's words. She reached for her notepad but realized it was in her outer clothes, hesitating before speaking.
"It might not help much, but I hope it's been useful. Don't hold back on using it."
After speaking in her soft, sweet voice, she waved. Judah nodded, told her to rest well, and closed the door, her words lingering.
Heading back, Judah glanced at Lime's closed door. Best to send him off as soon as possible—a day sooner, if feasible. Not because she disliked him, but out of concern.
Lime was an archmage, yet fragile. Considering his age, he seemed full of infinite potential ahead, but regrettably, his had reached its limit.
Sure, he was stronger and more helpful than Arhil right now, but in this situation, his magic offered little aid. And later, even less.
Bluntly, he was a hindrance. Judah would miss parting with him. She'd grown fond of his cooking. His vast knowledge as a mage yielded useful tidbits during late-night chats—seemingly trivial, yet valuable. Denying gratitude toward him would be a lie. He'd worked beyond the agreed pay from the Magic Tower.
But keeping him just for his meals and the mental comfort of his company was selfish. He had a wife and child. She didn't want to drag him into life-threatening peril.
The illusion he'd seen under the curse could become reality. And sorry as she was, if no one else died and only he perished, she'd mourn and feel downcast, perhaps <Load> a recent save to revive him if close enough.
But if things got dire, she doubted she'd repeat deaths endlessly to save him like with Arhil. So, if possible… she didn't want to face that test.
'Tonight or tomorrow morning, set a departure date ASAP.'
For now, let him rest. Passing Celine's open room on the way, Judah saw it empty—likely in the bath.
Entering her own closed room revealed a tidy space, with her laundered suit from day one—gifted by Earl January of Urun—plus several new outfits.
"?"
The suit was familiar. But the others were new.
'What the heck?'
Atop neatly folded shirts lay the World Tree token and letter obtained from aiding the elf. It explained: An elf cleaner found the token in her pocket, word reached the designer of 'Aria'—who'd coincidentally made outfits for Judah's group—and they decided on a massive thank-you service for their benefactor.
Without extra charge, they'd crafted multiple outfits presumed to suit the group. Unsure of events in their distant homeland, the elves saw the token as proof of great favor and sent these as gratitude—no need to feel burdened.
A PS promised lavish treatment if visiting Aria in the city, but unlikely.
Judah nodded at the elegantly hung clothes. The designs were stunning—not just suits, but a luxurious fur-collared long coat, high-end silk robes and hanboks from Baekje or Gauri(?), and more.
"Oh, I've always wanted something like this."
Even historical drama attire for generals or warriors. Judah was genuinely thrilled by the unexpected gift.
"They sent a ton."
Practical leather armor for adventuring had insane stats—worth a fortune if bought. Gifting such to Arhil, Iris, and Lime would've cost a mint. Judah never imagined the World Tree token alone would prompt such elven generosity. "Massive service" wasn't exaggeration.
Judah carefully stored them in a new <Bag> category.
========== Author's Note ==========
Ugh.
Off to study...