Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: The World Eater's Verdict
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A special gimmick that appears only in the first boss fight against the World Eater.
It was weapon durability.
The Brightest Darkness series had traditionally lacked any concept of weapon durability.
That was thanks to the developers' rock-solid philosophy that it provided players not with a challenging experience, but merely a frustrating one.
The absence of weapon durability combined with the trait that allowed any one-handed sword—regardless of type—to perform parries, leading to absurd scenes where players casually deflected massive monster attacks with rusted, worn-out blades the size of houses.
But it was absurd only in appearance. Amid vicious traps and mob placements that kept players dying left and right, it was a truly grateful development philosophy that let them worry less about their weapons.
So, there was no need to explain the shock and terror players felt witnessing the protagonist's weapon shatter during the first encounter with the World Eater.
The forced defeat event's condition was exactly that. Not charging in blindly to die, but attacking it to wear down the weapon's durability completely.
Only then would the cutscene of the weapon breaking play, clearing the boss fight.
'Wonder how it'll play out now.'
I stared blankly at the fragments of the bloodied sword scattering into pieces, leaving only a stub at the base of the blade.
It felt ironic.
This weapon that had deflected all sorts of weapons and monster attacks without a scratch until now had shattered completely after just brushing against that thing's scales.
Later on, I could've parried all its attacks with this weapon too—whether the front paw slamming down with its full weight or the tail sweeping across vast spaces.
I gripped the hilt of the now hilt-only bloodied sword tightly and glared at the World Eater. I'd triggered every event flag I could. All that was left was to wait for its reaction.
It stared briefly at the human before it who had flailed futilely without landing a hit, then slowly began raising its head.
Stretching its neck upward as far as possible, straightening its upper body, and slamming its front paws down to brace itself, its already enormous body looked even more massive.
'......It's disgustingly huge for real.'
And there I stood before it, holding my broken weapon, utterly unfazed. Truth be told, there wasn't much else I could do here anyway.
—Brave...... human......
The telepathic message slammed into my head again. No warning, as usual.
My body swayed from the impact, but this time it seemed truly meant for conversation, as the shock subsided quickly. Clutching my throbbing head, I looked up at it.
My recent actions must have impressed it, because despite me striking first, there was no sign of rage or retaliation. Its gaze even softened slightly with goodwill.
Of course, a slightly favorable gaze toward me was separate from satisfying its curiosity. Its vertical pupils began filling with black once more.
Here it comes, I thought, gripping the hilt-only bloodied sword tightly. Now it'll read all my memories, realize I know its secret, and try to kill me.
“......Ugh?!”
Suddenly, an alien sensation filled my head.
It felt like something warm yet cold enveloped me snugly. It was so fleeting I couldn't be sure, but that's how it felt.
Soon, the World Eater's eyes returned to their original fierce red. I tensed up. I didn't know what was happening, but at least its action had ended.
—So that's how it is......
But its tone was far calmer than I'd expected.
—I'm convinced...... human......
'Convinced? Of what?'
I was dumbfounded. This was completely off-script. It should be raging about how I knew its secret and threatening to kill me, not suddenly declaring itself convinced.
What the hell was it saying?
—Sun...... moon...... those are the ones......
It kept spitting out cryptic words, shoving more telepathic messages into my head. I was just as confused hearing them.
'The sun and moon are the gods the Holy Kingdom worships...... Did the popes do something to me?'
It wasn't some green-haired cat beastkin girl—why was it blabbing like it knew everything while acting like I should too? It could've at least thought it all internally to avoid confusing the listener.
Did all long-lived beings have this personality? It was frustrating enough to burst an artery for the listener, yet it just tossed out random words.
If I could've spoken, I'd have yelled at it to explain properly, but the relentless telepathic barrage kept my mouth from opening.
Just staying conscious was pushing my mind to its limit.
—If you could withstand the gods' power...... naturally...... you could have slain it......
'Withstand the gods' power?'
Suddenly, words from the forsaken creation came to mind. It had said it sensed the holy power of the sun and moon from me.
Right before dying, it mentioned that vessels usually melted before they could even accept that power.
Back then, not knowing the source, I'd brushed it off as not being mine, but if it really was divine power, it explained the current situation roughly.
Of course, that raised a new question: why had such power dwelled in my body?
—The gods' power...... a human who endures it...... intriguing...... but nothing more......
With that, the mind-probing telepathy vanished. My body was finally free. The crushing pressure and pain lifted.
I sighed inwardly in relief, then snapped my head up.
'......That's it?'
It was spreading its two pairs of wings wide, preparing to take flight. It really looked ready to leave just like that.
I watched it with a mix of relief and bafflement. Had it failed to read my memories? But it had seemed to convince itself of something—
'Ah, no way.'
The sensation during its memory read: that warm yet cold something enveloping my entire body.
It must have sensed that power and convinced itself I'd slain its forsaken creation with it, then backed off.
'It's just a strong possibility, not certain, though......'
Ignoring my confusion, it spread its wings fully and soared up. The ground cracked like a spiderweb from the force. Building debris scattered everywhere.
The World Eater's form, ascending into the sky, grew ever smaller, heading toward the horizon. Its attitude screamed that it was done with me. Soon, its massive body vanished beyond the sun.
I sorted my thoughts regardless.
'Candidates narrow down to two main ones, at least.'
The massive holy power used in the forsaken creation boss fight, and the blessing the popes said they'd given me before returning to the Empire.
The World Eater had likely confirmed the former, but I couldn't rule out the latter entirely. No jumping to conclusions until something concrete surfaced.
'Come to think of it, couldn't I just ask the popes?'
I'd even mentally resolved to question them later, then completely forgotten. I groaned inwardly.
No helping it. There'd been a string of incidents even after slaying the forsaken creation. Plus, I hadn't anticipated this at all.
'Whatever. Think later. Right now, tending to the fainted people comes first.'
I gazed at my shattered weapon, then carefully set it down.
Since it broke in an event, the smithy could repair it for free, but now that it had come to this, ditching the bloodied sword for a new one didn't sound bad.
Though it felt like I'd broken it for nothing since it ended without reading my memories.
Sorting my thoughts, I turned. In the distance, Kaikilia trembled violently, staring this way.
The sight sent a chill through my mind.
'No way she overheard the conversation?'
The direct talk with the World Eater used telepathy slamming into my head, impossible to eavesdrop on, but the mana human conversation might've been audible.
No good giving her more reason to take interest in me. I pushed down rising anxiety and approached Kaikilia.
“Are you alright, Your Imperial Majesty?”
Kaikilia had seen everything.
Swept by the roar's aftermath upon waking, she couldn't move her limbs, but her eyes were open, so she could witness Delta's actions.
Standing firm on two legs despite the dragon's roar, blocking the dragon alone, facing its threats without yielding an inch.
The dragon gathering blue mana to converse with a mere human, then roaring again to threaten Delta, suddenly severing the mana human's neck.
And Delta drawing his weapon to charge the dragon.
All of it.
Though Delta's weapon shattered upon touching the dragon's scales, the outcome mattered not at all.
'Is that...... even possible......?'
It shouldn't have been. A mere human facing a dragon? One of legendary size at that? Absurd.
Yet she'd seen it with her own eyes, so she had to believe. That man had done it.
'How......'
Even with his weapon broken, his life hanging by a thread, his back remained proud. Not a hint of flinching or fear.
The dragon rearing up, radiating killing intent like it would unleash breath any second—even Kaikilia, a step removed from that malice, trembled uncontrollably against her will.
Yet Delta stood unfazed.
'This, what......'
The shock didn't end there.
The dragon, facing Delta and building its aura, suddenly took to the skies and left.
She had no idea what happened. But one fact was clear: the dragon was gone, and Delta still stood firm on his own two feet.
Kaikilia stared at his back as if entranced. She couldn't look away.
Delta glanced briefly at the departing dragon in the sky, brushed over his shattered weapon, and carefully set it down.
Then, turning with a thoughtful expression, he spotted Kaikilia and paused.
“Are you alright, Your Imperial Majesty?”
The pause was brief. Delta strode toward her. Seeing that eased the tension from her entire body.
'Ah......'
From that scene, Kaikilia was convinced. This man could surely fulfill her wish.
She'd half-believed it when summoning him to her bedchamber, but now that conviction had deepened into awe.
'Was it not confidence...... but arrogance......?'
Minerva's advice resurfaced: Have confidence, but not arrogance. What had she replied?
If that man truly was such a being, she'd reconsider, she'd said.
“Your Majesty? Are you alright?”
Feeling his footsteps right beside her, Kaikilia could endure the fatigue no longer and fainted once more.
With immense satisfaction that her eyes had not deceived her.