Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Light's Guidance, New Encounter
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Massacre and slaughter had gnawed away at his mind until madness set in, yet the Rotten Knight still served his master.
All that remained for him was an ancient promise.
Lady Heriel. I shall live for you. You weep for all, but for me, I beg only your smile.
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The greatsword, its task complete, spun lazily in the air before thudding heavily to the ground.
Thud.
Veronine's body split in two. His severed upper half writhed, his faintly revived eyes gazing dimly at his own weapon.
The greatsword, sticky with blood and viscera in utter disarray, had regained its former glory while slicing through its master's bones and muscles.
Its elegantly adorned blade. Its finely crafted hilt.
A magnificent greatsword, as if praising its master's deeds.
"Kuhk—"
The greatsword, once plunged through his body, had clashed against my longsword dozens of times until it finally cleaved its master's torso.
Yet Veronine harbored no resentment toward his greatsword.
Quite the opposite. With that elongated tongue of his...
With the tongue formed from his twisted and tangled human arms...
He licked the flat of the blade.
Due to its grotesque form, it almost looked like he was reaching out with both arms to stroke the greatsword. His final friend.
"..."
I moved to push the greatsword closer to him.
But Veronine extended his tongue—no, his hand—to stop me.
That eerie yet beautiful greatsword was no longer his. It was now a token bestowed upon the one who had defeated him.
His clenched fist trembled sadly. Without gripping the greatsword, he looked all the more lonely and forlorn.
As if he yearned for someone to take his hand.
I slid my hand beneath his, gently enclosing it, and attempted a conversation.
"Any last words?"
A conversation made possible by the full dive game.
I granted the boss I had toppled time for final words.
Though I had fought like a madman to claim victory, watching Veronine whom I had slain myself filled me with profound sorrow.
The end of fierce combat didn't bring only relief. As always, a time of grief and mourning followed.
Feeling the golden aura swirling around him and his clear eyes fully, I attempted a gentle conversation...
"You..."
Veronine extended his clenched fist, handing me a single ring, and left his final words in a trembling voice.
"Blessings..."
No ordinary last words. No lingering attachment to life.
Veronine welcomed death willingly.
Slowly dissolving into the golden light that stayed with him until his very last moment...
"To you, blessings..."
He died praying blessings for his killer.
"..."
Only after etching every instant of his end into my eyes did I finally examine the ring he had given me.
A small, glowing treasure.
Though unadorned, its graceful curves and inscribed words exuded a beautiful aura. A precious item.
Mysteriously, holding it drew golden light strands toward me as well.
Displacing the blue light strands that had slipped through the door crack, the ones that had warmly lingered by the Rotten Knight Veronine...
The blessings and guidance of some being.
[Ruby Ring] A ring bestowed by the Sun Maiden upon her agents. A ring filled with the guidance of warm sunlight. Its smooth surface bears an engraved phrase:
"My sword, may gentle light always be by your side."
Seems like an important item. For a player who forcibly defeated the tutorial boss, a fitting reward.
Execution, huh...
For executing Veronine, I received the vast "blessings" he left behind.
This should let me temper myself somehow. I don't know how to use it yet, but I'll figure it out soon enough.
Now, I was the only one left in the cave.
The desolate, fishy, damp cave...
Still lingered with the bitter aftertaste of battle and death.
But I loved even this melancholy and loneliness.
Mulling over my first victory against a mighty foe, I rose to my feet.
I didn't linger long.
I picked up Veronine's greatsword into my inventory...
And slowly, very slowly...
To see, experience, and conclude everything myself...
I walked on in silence.
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Passing through the massive iron gate that people had fled from, a sloped hill came into view.
I'd hoped for bright light, but near the exit, only faint moonlight shone quietly. I'd have preferred to see the sun.
But riding the cool night breeze from outside came a blue light strand.
The same heavy light that had pierced through the iron gate at the very start. The blue shimmer that had been pushed out by the Rotten Knight Veronine's presence.
It danced before me. Almost as if guiding me.
Before I could fully grasp the meaning of the blue, a brilliant light burst from the Ruby Ring on my finger. A golden light strand contrasting the blue.
The two colors intertwined.
They didn't seem harmonious. More like they were fighting.
But they led me in the same direction. Both lights guided me out of the cave.
I wonder if they'll split someday.
Which one should I follow first then?
Pondering such thoughts, I exited the cave, and before my eyes...
The world of Deathcall unfolded in full.
"Ugh."
My first encounter with the Deathcall world was stunningly beautiful and cozy. My eyes, accustomed to prolonged battle, throbbed at the vast landscape, but...
Even accounting for the pain, the scenery was magnificent enough to widen my eyes.
An involuntary gasp escaped my lips. The expansive world, free to explore, harmoniously displayed everything I desired.
Forest, lake, castle, fields...
Even the grass underfoot stirred my soul. My soles, which had only trampled mud, blood, and flesh, finally felt the fullness of life.
The Deathcall world I'd felt during the bloody clash with Veronine was brutal and unforgiving, but my first impression of the outside was far from bad. Quite good, even.
But looking closer revealed unsettling details.
Emaciated trees draped in spiderwebs, screams carried on the wind, massive creatures crawling across the lake...
"..."
Nothing to worry about. No matter what enemies lay ahead, I'd face them cautiously, remembering today's victory.
For now, I needed to find a save point or safe zone.
A faint golden campfire from deep in the cave flashed in my mind. There had to be something similar nearby...
Unfortunately, all I saw was an ordinary campfire.
And beside it...
A stranger stared at me in shock.
"Mortal, you."
He called me a Mortal.
The nuance made it sound like deep contempt, but his eyes held both curiosity and wariness.
"What happened? Another batch of new Mortals summoned? The Rotten Knight must be holding a feast inside the cave again. Probably stuffed to bursting."
His unique mask, covering everything but his eyes, was striking. But his attitude toward me was even more so.
"Eh, whatever. Even if you clawed your way out covered in corpses and blood, you'll die a meaningless death like the rest. Not even leaving a name."
Quite cynical for a first meeting. But I didn't mind. My focus was on the "other Mortals" he mentioned.
The 19 humans summoned with me, no doubt.
"Where did those Mortals go?"
"No idea where they went to die. Finding graves isn't my job."
His curt reply was expected. He seemed uninterested in further talk, tossing more wood onto the campfire and silently watching the flames.
"Let me warn you upfront: don't bother me. No rest or hope here for you Mortals."
Yet he started talking again on his own terms.
The kind of NPC that rubs people the wrong way.
"Don't ask me anything. Go find that woman who summoned you lot. I want no part in Mortal affairs."
But even while grumbling, he tossed me another clue.
The other players must have followed his words and headed off somewhere.
"Who's that woman?"
But as soon as I asked, the mood turned icy.
He looked almost fearful, even glancing behind him despite no one being around.
"...Head to the Monastery. Word is, lots of Mortals like you are gathering there. Probably crawling with her minions too."
He didn't seem like a bad guy. A pain to befriend, but conversation flowed decently enough.
"Anyway, I gave you what I know, so give me info on the cave. How many Mortals were summoned with you?"
"Twenty, including me."
"That woman's really gone mad this time. Forty in one day. Impressive... Guess I'll leave the Rotten Knight to enjoy himself here."
But the talk took a weird turn.
"He's already dead."
"...What?"
Apparently, he didn't believe I was one of the 20 summoned humans.
Did he think another 20 had been summoned right after? The idea of a single Mortal defeating the Rotten Knight Veronine seemed that implausible.
"Veronine is dead."
"...What?"
To smooth the conversation, I showed him the massive greatsword Veronine left before dying.
My stats were too low to equip it properly, but I could hold it.
"Good lord!"
Seeing the hefty greatsword, he stumbled back.
"Impossible."
He was deeply shocked. Now clutching a crossbow mounted behind him, he even aimed it at me.
"No, damn it. Sorry. Wasn't planning to fight."
But he immediately lowered it. He didn't want to fight me.
Good thing. I'd nearly rolled forward and shoved my longsword down his throat.
"If you're the Mortal who killed that Rotten Knight, I stand no chance."
Quick thinker. Very aware of his limits.
"Let's go our separate ways. We're done here, right?"
He started packing hastily, seeming eager to put distance between us.
"...Or maybe this is fate."
But midway through packing, he stood, bowed his head first, and introduced himself.
"I'm Frigo. I pick up anything and sell to those who need it."
The wandering merchant Frigo.
He followed monsters like the Rotten Knight Veronine, looting gear from unconscious, collapsed Mortals to stock his wares.
"Ask whatever you want. Shop's closed for the day, so I'll humor your story."