Chapter 346: Annihilation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 346: Annihilation
A lot had changed. First and foremost, the most noticeable thing was its size. The Greatsword Too Large to be a Sword had been big enough for me to use as a shield. Now, having transformed into Gram, the Great Sorrow, its size was overwhelming even for me. It didn't seem unusable, but I had a feeling it would be quite cumbersome.
What looked rather impressive was the tangible emotion it was emitting. It wasn't something only I could see. Others would probably be able to sense what it was radiating as well. Although its overall design was crude, it felt luxurious.
This was likely due to the faint pattern that resembled a coiled snake.
“Hahaha…”
It was only natural to laugh. Just from its appearance, it looked like a masterpiece. The goblin fellow passed Gram to me as if telling me to hurry up and grab it, but the moment I tried to check its detailed information, I couldn't help but frown.
[Gram - Great Sorrow does not recognize you as its master.]
‘Shit…’
[Gram - Great Sorrow does not recognize you as its master.]
The situation remained the same even when I tried channeling a bit of my magic. I shot a look at the Item Shop owner as if to ask what was going on, and I saw him raise one corner of his mouth.
“Hmm… It seems its growth was too sudden.”
“You…”
“It seems to have judged that you are not of the right caliber. Heh. It was the greatsword you always used, so you should be able to wield it if you tame it a little more.”
That wasn't much of a comfort. I should have expected this. The silver lining was that it wasn't like the Holy Sword or Levatain, which I couldn't even touch or hold. It seemed to be the type of weapon whose other functions would become available after completing an ownership ritual, much like the Reaper's Scythe.
[Gram - Great Sorrow]
[A greatsword created by infusing emotion into the weapon Blood Dagger used for a long time. It is a magic sword made to bring its user either glory or ruin. The user's fate will be decided by how this greatsword is wielded. Because the weapon's caliber was forcibly awakened, it has achieved immense growth in a short period. It believes that for Blood Dagger to use it, he must raise his own caliber further. Until the ownership ritual is complete, its new functions will not awaken.
Its durability will never decrease under any circumstances. It can release the user's emotions.]
[Not viewable.]
[Not viewable.]
[Strength +6, Stamina +12, Magic +6]
‘Good.’
I hadn't completed the ownership ritual yet, but the weapon's performance was enough to make my hands tremble. I already knew its durability wouldn't decrease, but the phrase ‘will never decrease under any circumstances’ was extremely impressive.
In other words, Gram was a sword that would never break. The ability to release the user's emotions also needed no further explanation. The emotions I possessed were a slightly different type of energy from magic. If I could use the emotions—which I normally used simply to strengthen my body through Customization—like magic, it would naturally be a huge advantage in a prolonged battle. Obtaining this weapon was a blessing.
The stat increases were also respectable. The problem was that I couldn't view its other functions because I hadn't succeeded in the ownership ritual yet, but the first two abilities were enough to soothe my bitter heart.
If I could use it after being recognized as its master sometime in the future, I would surely be able to wield immense power.
When I swung the sword once, it made a whoosh and felt as if it fit perfectly in my hand.
Despite its appearance having changed so much, it felt the same as before.
The thought suddenly struck me that it had probably wanted to grow slowly, alongside me.
‘I'm sorry.’
As I stroked the wide flat of the blade, I smiled, feeling as if it were trembling for some reason. It was because it felt less like it didn't want to acknowledge me as its master and more like it was sulking.
“Is that it?”
“No, you should take a quest, too.”
“Feel free to choose whatever you want.”
I had 2 million points left. It wasn't enough to accept a grand quest like ‘Win This War,’ but there was one quest that caught my eye.
When I opened the quest shop, parchments covered in text appeared.
[Choose a Successor.] - 2,000,000 Points
[You have purchased a quest for 2,000,000 points.]
[Quest - Choose a Successor: Please select a successor who can lead the Blood Dagger Clan in the future. (0/1)]
[Reward - A blessing will be bestowed upon the child you choose as your successor.]
The moment I saw the reward, I raised the corners of my mouth slightly. Just as I had expected, it was the type of reward that benefited the child chosen as the successor, not me. In truth, there was no special reason for buying such a quest at a time like this. I hadn't even decided on the tribe's successor in the first place. I had someone in mind, but it was merely a vague thought.
The reason I bought the quest was simply because Black Spear's words came to mind. After seeing the deaths of Agar and Sand Glave, I too had been forced to reflect on many things.
Such things shouldn't happen, but we are always facing death. Death is closer than you think. The enemy is strong, and even if the plan is perfect, unforeseen accidents can happen. If something were to go wrong, it would be best to at least leave a last will.
“You've gotten soft, friend.”
The goblin fellow muttered, as if he knew what I was thinking. I didn't really want to answer, but I looked at him and muttered back.
“I've gotten stronger, friend.”
I didn't think I had gotten weaker.
No answer came, but I felt a sense of relief. I immediately left the Item Shop. For some reason, it felt like he was sending a smile my way, so I waved my hand without thinking.
And right after, I felt my body settle back down to the ground.
When I opened my eyes, my people were still resting. From those chatting to those laughing together, there were many scenes to take in. As I got up, everyone slowly began to pack up.
“Let's move out.”
“We're moving out!”
“Pack your things!”
*
Once the troops gained momentum, they reached their destination in no time. I was welcomed by Goff and Black Spear, whom I hadn't seen in a while, and it was only after speaking with Silver Fang, Big Ogre, and the Queen of the North, who had been maintaining the front line, that I could rest a little.
I say I rested, but I didn't have any particular plans. It was just spending a little more time with my family or drinking with my tribe members and brothers. Of course, I didn't forget to test my new weapons.
The operation was awaiting final adjustments, and the tension rose accordingly.
As the plan became more concrete and we were just waiting for the start, I began to climb up on the ramparts often.
It was just as I had heard, just as I had seen all this time. The encampment of the army of corpses and bones was visible before me. The scene was even more grotesque than I'd heard. The land beyond it was dead.
I didn't feel particularly afraid. Rather, the desire to crush them quickly felt stronger. I'm not the type to enjoy fighting. It's just that I have more to protect now.
We cannot coexist with the undead. The undead are different from humans. I didn't know everything about their ecology yet, but one thing was certain: we could not coexist with them. It was then, as I stood on the ramparts once more, that I heard Goff's voice from behind.
“How are you feeling, Blood Dagger?”
“Not bad, Goff.”
“I see…”
“…”
He hesitated for a moment before muttering.
“What were Agar and Sand Glave's last moments like?”
“Their fight was glorious and honorable. It was a battle between men who had spent their entire lives envying and respecting each other.”
“They were fortunate.”
“They were.”
As I was once again looking beyond their walls, Goff muttered again.
“For some reason, I think I can understand how Sand Glave felt.”
It was only natural that I understood what he was saying. Hearing Goff's words, I let out a small laugh and muttered.
“Me too.”
“Thanks, even if you don't mean it. Anyway, today…”
“…is going to be a fun day.”
At my words, Goff raised the corners of his mouth and patted my shoulder. As my gaze followed him heading back down, the scene below naturally came into view. Our mages were gathered, busy checking the magic circle they had prepared. I could see Isaac and Choi Eunju participating in the work. Jung Hayeon was also lingering there, as was Baek Ahyeon.
With the exception of Jang Ye Ri, the other women had grown a bit closer to each other. It was especially surprising that Baek Ahyeon, who had no close friends besides Jung Hayeon, had started talking with the others.
Mev was spending time with the Goblin Three Sisters, and I also saw her talking with some of the humans. They seemed to be at ease, but the overall atmosphere was quite heavy.
This kind of air that flows before a war creates a suitable amount of tension. Everyone here was a warrior who had crossed the line between life and death many times. I spotted a few faces I recognized, though I couldn't recall their names. I slowly descended from the ramparts and muttered.
“Let's begin now.”
In an instant, the surroundings grew noisy. The exact execution date of the operation was whenever our main mages were ready. I hadn't given them a precise date, but since they had finished all their preparations and were waiting, it probably wasn't too sudden.
At my words, the sound of great drums began to ring out. It was likely the sound of the Goff Clan's drums, signaling the start of battle preparations.
The massive drumbeat didn't hinder my concentration; rather, it felt like it was giving me strength.
“All units, prepare for battle.”
“Prepare to charge!”
“Ready to charge!!”
It was the Green Skins who were excited. They preferred charging out over defensive sieges, so it was no wonder they reacted that way.
“Strength, Wisdom, and Honor!”
“Strength, Wisdom, and Honor!!!”
The words coming from everyone's mouths were the ones we had held up as our values. I raised the corners of my mouth and slowly made my way forward. As I stepped into the center of the giant magic circle, my surroundings began to turn hazy. Soon, I couldn't see anything at all. Or rather, the scenery began to change. It felt as if I were in outer space.
“Hmm…”
However, I could feel the mages positioned in various places sending their magic this way. What I could see faintly was the Mage Tower, waiting with all its preparations complete. The Mage Tower also began to look extremely hazy. I couldn't tell the details, but I figured I was probably in some kind of three-dimensional space.
After patting the head of a blushing Isaac, who was waiting expectantly, I activated Weapon Integration and muttered.
“Wisdom and Honor.”
Immediately, a bright light began to swallow me.