Chapter 91
Chapter 91
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: The Survivors (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Follow Apellion…?”
“Yeah.”
“…Why?”
Telling Manannan to follow Apellion wasn’t just about forming a party.
It meant for him to go inside the Phoenix Guild alongside Apellion.
If Regin’s memories were correct, the Phoenix Guild was one that had gone through countless fierce internal power struggles.
Even with the foundation to grow into a major guild, the reason it was rarely seen in the final phases?
It was because no single person had ever properly taken control of the guild.
“I haven’t heard the exact details, but El Silva came here looking for the Saint’s Sword to solidify his position within the guild.”
“…”
“And Apellion and his group followed El Silva all the way here.”
“…You mean that Lord Warrior from earlier, El Silva?”
“That’s right.”
“Now that he’s dead… does that mean Apellion, the archer, will get pushed out of the guild?”
“That could happen, unless you or Bern step in.”
The guy’s lips twitched uncertainly.
Regin had seen it once before. It was just like that time when Bern had offered to party up, but he’d hesitated.
Doubts about himself were probably making him keep putting off decisions.
“…Regin.”
“Yeah.”
“Want me to be honest? I wanted to show you a different side of me if we met again.”
“…”
“I mean, yeah, it might sound childish. You probably don’t care how much stronger I’ve gotten or whatever.”
Manannan dropped his gaze to the ground as he continued.
“But still… we started out together, right? I kinda wanted to show you how I’d adapted and grown somehow.”
“Is that so?”
“Even getting this carpet had me all excited. I figured even you wouldn’t have seen a relic like this before.”
“It’s my first time seeing one, actually. I thought I’d scored a good item.”
“…But that was it. In the end, I needed someone else’s help again, and I couldn’t protect the lives of the people who reached out to me first, asking to stick together.”
“…”
The guy’s voice was more serious than ever. It cracked and choked up a bit, but his point came through clearly.
*…It’s probably his first time losing party members.*
Regin remembered how shocking it had been even as a player when NPCs died.
Back then, it was just a game, but it still felt off whenever someone he’d been climbing the Tower with died.
Their dialogue and actions had felt so alive, and he’d survived plenty of times thanks to their help.
That might be why players formed stronger attachments to NPCs in this game than in others.
Anyway, even in a game, it had left a bad taste… so how must it feel to actually lose party members for real?
*…Devastating, probably.*
That was exactly why Regin had gone out of his way to find Manannan.
Normally, Manannan wouldn’t have crossed paths with Bern, but traveling with Regin had changed things.
His own choices and actions might end up ruining Manannan’s future even more.
*…I can’t just not care about that.*
It didn’t matter that Manannan was player-friendly or that he offered decent opportunities as an NPC.
In a way, wasn’t he Regin’s first-ever party member from that first expedition?
Reliving those memories alone while exploring wouldn’t be easy for Regin either.
“Manannan.”
“Yeah.”
“Same here. If you’d died here, if there was no one left to share those brutal Lycanthrope chase memories with…”
“…”
“I’d have felt like I lost something precious, swept up in helplessness.”
Regin continued with a solemn expression.
“When I first entered the Tower, my goal was just survival.”
By any means, whatever it took.
To survive here, see it through to the end, and if possible, get back home.
That had been Regin’s greatest wish, his top priority, the driving force behind fighting off the threat of death.
“But scraping by with nothing left but my life, stumbling along—that hardly counts as surviving.”
I want to live.
I want to live, somehow.
But if I’m going to live, I want to live properly.
Not just barely breathing after losing everything.
…I want to survive in this world like a real person.
*Greg and Seria joined my party, I fought alongside El Silva… and seeing him die made it clear.*
The reason they’d come this far wasn’t just to get the Saint’s Sword or whatever.
Logically speaking, skipping this place would’ve been smarter.
The effort to get here didn’t match the rewards, and there was even a risk of dying.
“I came here to keep you alive. Because when I reach the end of this Tower, I want my friend to be there.”
And yet he’d come here for Manannan’s sake.
*So when I looked down there, the person to reminisce and laugh about our shared stories with… I need that too.*
Regin realized why he’d gone out of his way to the Witch’s Garden.
He knew even small wishes like this were greedy in DAT, so he had no intention of just sitting back hoping for peace.
“And for you and Apellion to survive, you’ll need each other.”
“…Me, useful?”
“Yeah.”
Regin spoke with conviction.
“Phoenix has the foundation. But to build on it, he’ll need someone helping Apellion.”
“…”
“Then things will be different. You’ll get more information. More time to prepare and plan.”
“…”
“You won’t have to lose anyone so easily anymore.”
At least, not as helplessly as today.
That was the moment.
Grip—
Manannan clenched and unclenched his fist, drawing in a breath.
He was trying to hide it, but his breathing was a bit ragged.
Probably from holding back surging emotions.
“No more sending people off like today…”
Manannan looked around.
They weren’t his companions’ graves, but countless tombstones dotted the area.
“If that’s possible… I’d stick with Apellion in a heartbeat.”
“Good call.”
“But Regin… did Apellion agree to this?”
Regin chuckled and shook his head at Manannan’s question.
“Now I just have to convince him.”
It’d be a proposal Apellion would welcome too.
* * *
After finishing his talk with Manannan, the first thing Regin did was circle the area.
They’d taken down hordes of orcs, leaving so many mana stones piled up on the ground it was hard to count.
No way was he leaving behind mana stones that could be combined.
“Thorough as always.”
“Gotta grab what I can.”
“Fair point. Can’t just leave all these mana stones.”
Greg smirked at Regin.
Regin shrugged.
Well, what could you do? With the fight over, time to handle business.
“…That’s quite the haul.”
“Right? Combining just what’s here would easily top 1,500 gold.”
“Insane. Makes me wonder if I’ve ever made this much in my life.”
“…Haha. Split eight ways, it’s not even 200 each.”
Mana stones were traditionally split as evenly as possible.
Unlike items, nitpicking over mana stones didn’t mean much.
It was another unspoken rule.
In the Tower, you inevitably fought alongside others sometimes—who’d want to collaborate if they got no mana stones?
*So eight of us splitting it.*
It looked like a lot, but divided by eight, it was barely 200 gold each.
Not a small amount, but enchanters were always short on materials.
Especially after burning through most of his high-grade scrolls this time.
*Need more Banshee hides.*
Couldn’t hit the 13th floor yet, so the market it was.
Better than the black market for this.
Black market prices were inflated anyway, no real difference.
Just don’t get ripped off.
“But that’s not the main point.”
“Huh? That?”
“Yeah… that. The thing the Orc Lord was using.”
Greg glanced toward the Saint’s Sword as he spoke.
“All three parties could claim ownership.”
“True.”
“…You planning to go with traditional distribution?”
“…Pardon?”
Greg wiped sweat and sighed in relief as Regin stared in disbelief.
“No, if not, then good.”
“…Greg. Even you wouldn’t suggest fighting it out in a situation like this, right?”
Regin had no intention of bringing up traditional distribution here.
With Manannan on one side, fighting wasn’t even on the table.
And the other side had thrown themselves into the fray for everyone—El Silva’s group.
Telling people who’d lost their leader to fight for it? Insane.
“Well, if you’re not thinking that, no issue.”
“Were you worried I’d push for traditional distribution?”
“Just in case. In case.”
“…What do you even take me for?”
Greg and Seria exchanged glances before cautiously speaking up.
“You can’t stand taking a loss…?”
“Always grabbing one more if you can.”
“You’re meticulous, but… how to put it. You measure everything out precisely before deciding.”
“…”
Regin let out a hollow laugh.
As he shook his head chuckling, they continued apologetically.
“Sorry for assuming. Anyway, you…”
“No, it’s not really an assumption.”
“Huh?”
“I’m planning to do exactly that this time too.”
Gotta do the math right, after all.
Just not going with traditional distribution.
By the time they’d collected every mana stone around.
“…So this is the Saint’s Sword.”
Regin’s group, Apellion’s group, and Bern’s group.
All eight gathered beside the Saint’s Sword.
“Was it originally this huge?”
“No. It changes form slightly based on the user. Right now, it’s in hammer shape to match its last user, the Orc Lord.”
Apellion and the others peered closely at the Saint’s Sword.
They’d all come for this one item, so of course they were curious.
“…It has an odd glow.”
Apellion’s assessment.
At a glance, it looked like a holographic object made of translucent light.
*But the color’s unique. Mana in this world is usually depicted blue. This is white with just a hint of red mixed in.*
Closest in texture to the mana forming Heart Crystals.
That’s why Chimihaga had handed out fragments and told them to find the Saint’s Sword.
The fragments and sword reacted to each other’s mana, drawing them together.
“…For now, we relinquish ownership.”
Bern spoke first.
“We didn’t even handle the Witch clone, let alone contribute much against the Orc Lord.”
“…”
Not an easy call.
Bern had poured three months into getting here too, and lost comrades in the end.
“We’ll share some extra mana stones.”
“…Thank you.”
Next up was Apellion.
“Same for us. We give up ownership. It’s useless to us now.”
“You mean that?”
“Yeah. We planned to use it as our leader’s shield. He was a Lord Warrior without a good one yet, so that was the idea.”
Seemed they’d heard rumors about the Saint’s Sword. That it could take forms other than a sword.
“With our leader gone, it’s meaningless. No escaping scrutiny in Phoenix now.”
“So, you’re thinking of leaving the guild?”
“Who knows. We could keep doing guild activities… but probably not at the center anymore.”
Regin thought it over, then looked at Apellion.
“Apellion. Mind if I make a proposal?”
“A proposal?”
“Yes. I’ll also give up the Saint’s Sword. In exchange…”
Everyone’s eyes widened.
Especially Greg and Seria. They knew Regin never took a loss.
*They’re right. But this isn’t a loss.*
Regin spoke with conviction.
“Please let Manannan keep staying with Phoenix. Bern too, if he wants.”
“…Why?”
Simple reason.
No one in our group can use that weapon right now anyway.
“I’m thinking of joining Phoenix myself. Ideally, at the center.”
Apellion stared at Regin in surprise.
“…So you’re saying we hold the center first. Or at least keep the power balance even with the core faction.”
Regin nodded.
Nice to have him get it right away.
Worst case, it was basically an offer to share control of Phoenix together.