Chapter 179
Chapter 179
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: Aura (1)
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“Ugh...”
Ronan opened his eyes. It was pitch black all around. No matter how much he blinked, he couldn't see a thing, so for a moment he wondered if he'd gone blind.
The misunderstanding was cleared up by the thin red streaks crisscrossing the darkness. Ronan soon realized they were rays of sunset seeping through cracks in the rocks.
'Fallen, huh.'
He had no memory after taking Darman's kick. There was no smell of blood pooled behind his nose. Every breath he took sent a mix of saliva, blood, and stomach acid dribbling down his chin. Guess I'm lying down.
“...Fuck.”
Ronan spat out a curse. It didn't take long to adjust to the dark. Looking around, he saw rocks covering everything. Must feel like being buried alive in a rockslide. He hadn't been squished flat like a mouse under a carriage, so luckily some rocks were acting as supports, creating a pocket of space.
“Urgh...”
Suddenly, pain wrung through his body like a rag being twisted dry. It felt like shattered bone fragments stabbing his organs. This was seriously dangerous. Fumbling in his inner pocket while lying down, Ronan let out a self-deprecating laugh.
“What a shitshow...”
His hand emerged from the inner pocket with only a cut wound. The special potion from Baren that he carried for emergencies was completely shattered into glass shards. Ronan was no stranger to desperate situations, but this felt a bit much.
'Can't do this like this. Need to recover first.'
Quick to decide, Ronan closed his eyes. To do anything, he first needed to improve his body's condition even a little. He focused his mind and began circulating the mana gathered in his heart throughout his body. It was an emergency healing technique he'd learned at Phileon once.
'Fuck. When every second counts.'
Ronan bit his lower lip. It was the best choice in his situation, but self-repair took too long and lacked the healing power for severe wounds. On top of that, random thoughts cluttered his mind, making it hard to concentrate.
“Lin...”
Thinking of Lin's sacrifice twisted his lips. She had taken the sword meant for him. Her body, writhing on the ground and groaning, had been frailer than it should be.
For revenge if nothing else, he had to get out of here fast. But then memories of fighting Darman clouded his mind, disrupting his focus.
It was a clear defeat. Ronan had to admit that the bastard claiming to be his brother was a cut above him. Sure, the shitty family drama had kept him from fully focusing, but still.
'Strong and smart. The worst kind.'
The image of Zaifa getting slashed was still vivid. And the elders' heads flying into the air. Darman had clearly timed it for when they were weakened by the ritual.
But even accounting for all that, it was no ordinary feat. Where the hell had a guy like that come from? Aside from the ones he'd seen in the mental world that day, who knew such powerhouses existed. Suddenly, Darman's words from mid-battle flashed through his mind.
- Once things are settled, I'll extend the invitation again. Join Lukophos.
Ronan frowned. At the time, he'd countered with a sword strike and told him to shut up and suck it, but it was definitely a term he'd heard somewhere. Digging through his memories, he finally recalled the source.
'Right, back in that desert...'
Location: deep in Daynhar. Speaker: Bishop Teranil. The man, gravely wounded by Ronan, had threatened that Lukophos would hunt him down.
The sharpest blade of Nebula Klazie, or something like that. Probably some elite assassin group or the strongest warriors from Nebula Klazie. It hit Ronan that the wounds from Darman's sword matched those on the massacred Dawn Unit corpses.
“...That fucker's an accomplice too.”
Now it made sense why so many elite troops had been wiped out so easily. With the Torrent Blade and a guy like that, it must've been unavoidable for them. Confirming his body had recovered minimally, Ronan pushed himself upright.
“Guh...!”
He gritted his teeth against the surging pain. Every movement sent sounds like breaking twigs from his body. Barely managing to sit up, Ronan cursed.
“Shit... That's too sharp.”
Time for the next step. These rocks should be cuttable to escape. Fortunately, he felt the hilt gripped in his right hand. He'd held on through all that chaos even while falling. Lowering his gaze, Ronan's face crumpled.
“Motherfucker.”
Ramancha was destroyed. The blade was snapped in half, jagged like it'd been torn apart.
Only then did he remember blocking Darman's kick with the flat of Ramancha. That's what saved his life. He hurriedly fed it blood from his wounds, and the cracks sealed as its edge revived, but the missing part didn't regrow.
'When am I gonna find a replacement for this.'
This was really too much. If he found the broken piece and fused it, it'd stick perfectly, but no time now. After brief deliberation, Ronan switched cores. Gleaming mana flowed over his shoulders.
“Fine. Let's see if I die.”
Activating Teranil's Aura shockwave should blast him out. Of course, if it caused a landslide or a boulder fell on his head, he'd be taking the express carriage to the afterlife, but now wasn't the time to nitpick. Just as he was about to unleash the Aura...
“Reckless.”
“...!”
Goosebumps exploded across his skin. Ronan whipped his head around on reflex. A familiar face came into view. Lin was crouched by his head, staring right at him.
“...Lin?”
Lin waved as if in reply. Ronan's eyes nearly bulged. Her lush white hair cascaded to the ground.
“You're hurt bad. Must hurt...”
Lin was offering calm consolation when Ronan lunged, pulling her into a tight embrace. The body pain vanished in an instant. Stunned by the sudden move, Lin giggled.
“Bold. Should've done it sooner.”
“You okay?”
Ronan pulled back and gripped her shoulders. No matter how he looked, it was Lin. He'd thought she was dead for sure. Hearing that, Lin's lips pouted.
“Does this look okay?”
She jabbed his forehead with her index finger. Only then did Ronan notice her chest stained red. Where Darman's sword had pierced was a gaping hole. Unrealistically severe, you could see straight through. Alternating between the wound and her face, Ronan spoke.
“...How?”
“Such a waste of the body I finally made. But no regrets.”
Lin nodded. Hearing the cryptic words, Ronan furrowed his brow. Body? What? Grumbling, she continued.
“Anyway, you haven't answered my question.”
“Question?”
“Yeah. I asked if you wanted it.”
That's when Ronan noticed her body was slightly translucent. Her hair shimmered faintly, like a spirit.
A split second before Darman went berserk, their conversation resurfaced. They'd talked about the holy sword. Recalling his hypothesis from then, Ronan narrowed his eyes.
“You...”
“No time. See for yourself and decide.”
Suddenly, Lin extended her hand like for a handshake. Ronan clasped her small hand as if compelled. In a flash, visions flooded his mind like a wave. The same sensation as gripping the sword spirit summoned at the holy site.
'What...!'
In the middle of a wasteland, a black dragon roared. Its two pairs of wings, like Citra's, were vast enough to blot out his view. Its swan-like neck towered higher than the empire's walls.
Guessing the dragon's identity was easy. He'd only seen it in pictures and fairy tales, never in person. Ronan unwittingly murmured the name of the vile beast.
“Orse.”
The magic dragon that had reigned over the continent's center for over a millennium. Countless soldiers charged at Orse. Leading them on horseback was a man raising a pure white sword. Flags sprouting amid the army bore the hawk emblem of the Valon Empire.
Orse spread its four wings and spewed fire at them. Thousands would turn to ash in this hair-trigger moment. As the flames surged to engulf the soldiers, the lead man swung his sword wide. Kwaaaaaa! The fire split aside like firewood, clearing a path to Orse. The magic dragon bellowed in a thunderous voice.
“Raaaaah!”
The man answered with a guttural roar instead. Orse breathed fire again, but the white sword cleaved even that. Suddenly seeing the man's face, Ronan froze. The youth facing the dragon looked just like Valon the 44th, whom he'd met recently.
“That guy's...”
“Right. Valon.”
Lin's voice came from somewhere. As Valon clashed with Orse, the scene shifted. It was Parjan holy site, familiar to him. Under a night sky overflowing with stars, a single sword was embedded. The pure white blade was the same one in Valon's hand.
“The place he fled to after losing faith in Valon. Not a bad call, I think.”
With Lin's words, time sped forward. Sun and moon rose and set thousands of times. Before long, buildings where elders dwelled rose around the crater pooling light. Sword souls remembering their master sprouted one by one beside the white sword.
How many seasons passed? The white sword shimmered and transformed into a girl. Her pure, lush white hair matched the blade perfectly. The girl, carrying a random sword on her back, turned. A familiar face. Crouching suddenly, she looked at Ronan and said.
“Thief.”
“What?”
Ronan's eyes widened. The surroundings had become his familiar village. Standing in the heart of Gran Parjan, a ornate dagger was in Ronan's hand. Facing Lin, he said.
“...You're the holy sword.”
“Yeah. Too bad. Wanted to see that academy you mentioned.”
“Can't now?”
“Not that, but I wanted to experience it in a human body. Eating, drinking, touching for real.”
“Cheeky brat.”
Ronan chuckled. Lin insisted she was a lady, not a brat, enunciating each word. Even now, her body was fading more. Sensing time was short, Ronan spoke.
“Holy sword. I'll take you. Don't like 'possess', so let's say we go together.”
“Excellent choice.”
“Fuck, now there's hope. So I'll be as strong as Valon?”
“Depends on your potential, can't guarantee. If you've got no foundation left, maybe no big change.”
Lin explained she could only draw out the user's potential. Scanning him top to bottom, she said worriedly.
“And your body's in very bad shape. Needs rest and proper treatment. Waking dormant power rashly could go wrong.”
“Don't worry about it. I'm fine.”
“You're weird. Not scared of dying?”
Lin tilted her head. Her bright eyes seemed to say she'd never met anyone like him. Spitting out the blood pooled in his mouth, Ronan replied indifferently.
“Why wouldn't I be. Scared shitless.”
“Then why? You knew that Darman kid was stronger.”
“No big deal.”
Ronan staggered to his feet. Not lying—he felt like he'd lose even to Asel in hand-to-hand now. As Lin said, he'd charged knowing he'd lose to Darman. No special reason. Taking a deep breath, he continued.
“Just had to do it.”
“Hm.”
Lin smiled. Like she was impressed. Her fading body began emitting radiant light.
“Ugh...!”
Ronan shielded his eyes. The light soon faded. Opening his eyes again, Lin was gone.
“Lin?”
No reply. But Ronan realized his body no longer hurt. The wounds covering him were gone like they'd been washed away. Looking down at his right hand, he gasped.
“This...”
Ramancha was fully restored. But the replaced broken section gleamed pure white like Lin's hair. As if light had grown from the shadows. In the silence, a familiar voice echoed in Ronan's mind.
Ronan silently gripped the hilt. Strength returned to his limbs. His heart pounded at the same furious speed as when facing Ahayute. Dazzling beams of light leaked through the cracks in the rocks surrounding him.