Chapter 452
Chapter 452
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 452
Chapter Title: 2-122. World (2)
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#122
As Cain gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, a burst of white light exploded outward.
"Ugh...!"
I reflexively covered my eyes with my hand. It was impossible not to—the brilliance was overwhelming. Fortunately, the light faded quickly. The moment I opened my eyes, a curse slipped out.
"What the fuck."
Everything had changed. The hill overlooking the village was gone.
I was standing in the middle of a vast ocean.
Above my head stretched a night sky brimming with stars. Every time the biting cold wind blew, billions of celestial bodies shimmered like living things.
"...Fucking incredible."
A pure gasp of awe escaped me. I'd never seen a night sky this radiant in my life.
Not the heavens I'd gazed at as a child holding my sister's hand, nor the first parallel world where civilization crumbled under the giants' invasion. The Milky Way flowed more vigorously than ever, and swirling nebulae lent an ethereal atmosphere.
But it wasn't exactly a spot for leisurely stargazing.
Whooooosh!
A north wind skimmed across the sea and slammed into my face.
"Ah, shit!"
My coat whipped wildly. I instinctively pulled the collar tight. The cold was nipple-freezing brutal. It had to be fake, yet the sensation felt vividly real.
A glance down revealed dark blue waves crashing beneath my shoes. It felt like solid ground, though I couldn't fathom how.
'Goddamn it. This is straight-up reality.'
It was a different shock from Akasha's abyss. Everything was hyper-realistic.
I swept my gaze along the star-filled horizon. Surprisingly, there was land. On a gently rising mound like a whale's back, dozens of crimson lights flickered.
"What the...?"
I narrowed my eyes. Hard to make out, but the lights were arranged artificially.
A village? A tribe?
I was just about to step toward it, mesmerized.
"That's my hometown."
"Father."
The voice came from behind. I turned to see Cain holding his sword. The longsword in his right hand gleamed under the starlight.
"Your hometown?"
"Yeah. Where the Giant Star King's descendant fell... Where I lost everything and started over. When I went out fishing on my father's boat and looked back toward the village, this was the view I'd always see."
Cain pointed at the land. As expected, torchlights and home glows.
His eyes on the lights were thick with nostalgia.
'No wonder the stars shine so bright.'
A chill ran down my spine for a moment.
I couldn't grasp how ancient this scene was.
A primal sky. Before the Dahinhar Empire formed tribes, before Navardoje—now called the Mother of Fire—hatched from her egg. Awe swelled in me, while an adventurer's blood boiled.
Cain spoke.
"Don't even think about going there yourself. What I've manifested only goes as far as viewing from afar."
"You know me too well."
"I'm your father, after all. It won't help much in a fight, but I always recreate the village panorama like this. Otherwise, I'd forget it... Honestly, I think this is the true function of a world."
He meant reliving and sharing personal memories more vividly.
I agreed. If I hadn't entered Cain's world, I'd never have seen a night sky this epic before dying.
I nodded, gazing at the star clusters.
"I like it too."
"Glad you get it. I'd love to keep stargazing, but you have a mission, so no can do."
"Fair enough. Hmm, honestly, I still don't get it. Can this tourist-spot scenery turn destructive like Akasha's technique?"
"Of course. I was just about to show you."
Cain raised his sword. My eyes locked back on him. A pale white glow, like starlight, pulsed from the blade's core.
"This current world is just a fancy illusion. To crush foes with a world, you must forge it into a weapon."
"A weapon... Like whipping up a massive vortex? Or a monster shark bursting from the sea?"
"Not bad ideas. But as you said on the hill, a world user can become a god in limited spaces. When you expand the world to finish things, go bold. For example..."
Cain's wandering gaze fixed on the night sky. His slowly raised longsword tip aimed at the Milky Way. Like declaring war on a god.
I stared, wondering what he'd do. Then, pure white beams shot from every star in sight. All targeted Cain.
"...!!!"
The hairs on my neck stood up. Like billions of silkworms spewing silk at once.
In a blink, the beams crossed the sky and converged on Cain's sword. The sea turned white. The beams cut off soon after, but the starlight-absorbed blade now blazed too brightly to look at.
Cain grinned.
"Like this."
What he held was less a sword now, more a thunderbolt.
Cain swung at the horizon. A straight line slashed from one end of my vision to the other. Brief silence.
A white line like cosmic void tore open, exploding.
Kwaaaaaaaaang!!
A wall of spray shot toward the night sky. The seawater barrier surged visibly sky-high before collapsing. I was sure the last droplets wouldn't fall for at least ten minutes.
At last, the night sea calmed.
Cain spun his sword once and continued.
"For reference, breaking that mage Akasha's world took way more power than this. He was basically stronger than me. You need at least this level of world to escape the abyss on your own."
"Hmm. We're fucked."
"Not wrong. But you'll be fine."
Cain patted my shoulder.
I turned to him with a sliver of hope.
"Got some secret plan?"
"Nah, nothing like that. But we're in a must-win spot right now. Me, Abel—our bloodline always pulls through when failure means total ruin."
"...So, just charge ahead blindly?"
"Exactly."
"I don't say this often, but can I punch you once?"
"I'd appreciate if you held back. Getting assaulted by my parallel-world son would shatter my heart."
Cain waved it off. I relaxed my fist. I might've actually swung if he'd agreed.
Scratching the back of my head, I sighed.
"Haa... Fine. Fuck it, let's try."
"Good attitude. Let's start. The first step to manifesting a world is flooding it with your imagery."
"Flood with imagery?"
"Yeah. Same principle as aura, but not the exact same image. Show the enemy the world you want them to see—overwhelming any vessel like body or weapon."
Cain closed his eyes with those words.
Light exploded from his sword again, rippling outward widely.
The night sky's colors sharpened. Doubled starlight bathed the sea in brilliance. I could see scales shattering on the water.
Cain opened his eyes.
"...If you've spread your imagery, you can cause changes like this. For reference, I thought, 'I wish the stars were brighter.'"
"Ha, fuck."
A dry laugh escaped. Not as insane as gathering starlight to swing, but still high difficulty. The upside: I kinda got it.
'Yeah. No one else to do it anyway.'
Basically, conjure a super-vivid image, overflowing uncontrollably. Like water spilling from a cup to soak the table.
I drew my sword, revealing the white holy blade.
'...This is fun.'
The corner of my mouth twitched up. Mimicking Cain, I gripped the hilt with both hands.
Come to think of it, learning something new felt fresh. A thrill like Phileon classes bubbled in my chest.
The contradictory joy wasn't bad.
Eyes closed, I began the world's first step.
"Urgh... Grraaahhh!"
I poured everything into envisioning a sunset landscape.
The most intense image I could conjure right now. The dying sun's struggle. Crimson aura drawing foes in.
Mana drained from my body like an ebbing tide.
"Graaaah!"
But no matter how vivid, no change came.
I was just torturing the hilt. Beastly roars leaked through gritted teeth. Cain's voice came from somewhere.
"Stop."
"Grrah... Not yet, not yet!"
"No, please stop. One more second and something's gonna give. But it's not zero progress."
"Huh? What do you...?"
I finally opened my eyes. Gasping at the sight on the blade.
Sunset hues rippled along the smooth edge. Pathetic range, but different from aura or blade energy. Sunset clouds floated in the halo encircling the sword like a lunar corona.
"Hoo... Hah, this is...?"
"Yeah. A world."
"This tiny thing?"
"All great trees sprout from small seeds. Unbelievable talent, even for my son."
Cain chuckled. His expression seemed genuine, not mocking.
As I gawked at the so-called world phenomenon, the light halo flickered out like a candle in the wind.
"Damn it, what?!"
"Concentration broke. Let's try again."
"Obviously. Now I think I get it."
Eyes closed again. Imagery summoned, mana gathered. The biting wind, relative deprivation from Cain's killer moves—none mattered now.
I had to do this. And I would.
Cain said.
"Yes. Perfect form."
"Grraaah...!"
"I'll help with everything I've got. Master the world and..."
No room to reply, lost in focus.
Sunset afterglow flickered to life.
Beyond my pitch-black eyelids, Cain's voice echoed once more.
"Let's smash that Akasha bastard with one solid hit."